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HISTORY

CHESHIRE#SULLIYM

COUNTIES,

NEW HAMPSHIRE.

EDITED BY

D. HAMILTON HURD.

PHILADELPHIA:
J. W. LEWIS & CO.

1886.

COPYBIGHT, L886, BY J. W. LEWIS & Co.

IA<. U. EODOERS PR) \ I I s MPANY,

PHIL IDE] nil v.

PREFACE

In presenting this work to the public, the publishers claim that they have
at least endeavored to faithfully fulfill their promises. The most competent
persons have been employed in the preparation of the work, and it is sincerely
hoped that readers in the various towns of the counties will find the narratives
! of their special localities interesting and instructive. The work has been com-
piled from authenticated and original sources.

The preparation of the "History of Cheshire and Sullivan Counties" upon the
within elaborate plan imposed upon both editors and publishers a task of no
small magnitude, and one which they have keenly felt. They submit the work
to the public trusting that their just expectations may be fully realized.

The Publishers.

CONTENTS.

CHESHIRE COUNTY.

CHAPTER PACE

I. GENERAL HISTORY 1

II. BENCH AND BAR 9

III. INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS 20

TOWN HISTORIES.

ALSTEAD H4

CHESTERFIELD 123

DUBLIN 180

FITZWILLIAM 200

GILSUM 207

HARRISVILLE 210

HINSDALE 357

JAFFRET 220

KEENE 24

MARLBOROUGH 231

MARLOW 314

NELSON 318

PAGE

RICHMOND 322

RINDGE 332

ROXBURY 320

STODDARD 331

SULLIVAN 340

SURRY 342

TROY 346

SWANZEV 375

WALPOLE 408

WESTMORELAND 457

WINCHESTER 04

SULLIVAN COUNTY

CHAPTEB

I. GENERAL BISTORY
II. BENCH AND BAR .

TOWN HISTORIES

PAGE

ACWORTH 19

OHARLESTI >WN 23

CLAREMONT 40

CORNISH 141

CROYDON 150

GOSHEN 168

GRANTHAM 170

LANGDON 181

PAGE

LEMPSTER 185

NEWPORT 200

PLAINFIELD 310

SPRINGFIELD 317

SUNAPEE 336

( MTY 384

WASHINGTON 3'Jl

APPENDIX 406

ILLUSTRATIONS

CHESHIRE COUNTY

page

Appleton, Jesse R 191

Ball, David 582

Boyden, Elijah 302

Boyden, Frederic 368

Briggs, Oliver L 522

Buffnm, C.T 106

Buffuni, Haskell 518

Burt, William H 15

Carpenter, Algernon S 112

Cole, Theodore. 520

Dickenson, Ansel 584

Elliot, J 104

Esty, Henry 524

Faulkner, F. A 12

French, Abijah 516

Frost, Rufus S 300

Fuller, John II 108

Graves, Josiah G 454

Greenwood, Colonel ,W. H 304

Ilaile, William, Ex-Governor 367

pagx:
Hale, Samuel W 107

Harris, Gordis D 109

Hemenway, Luther 306

Holhrook, Daniel H 110

Holbrook, John J Ill

Know] ton, James ::il

Lane, F. F 11

Leonard, Levi W 103

Map (outliue) of Counties 1

Map — plan of Westmoreland 466

McCollester, Rev. S. H 295

Patten, Daniel W 528

Robertson, George 371

Stearns, John 37-1

Thompson, Albert 525

Turner, James B 583

Twitchell, Dr. Amos 113

White, Shubael 527

Whitney, Charles 0 308

Winch, Nathan 310

SULLIVAN COUNTY.

PAGE

Adams, Daniel N 356

Baker, Edward D 15

Balcom, George L 131

Barton, L. W 302

Clark, Judge William 132

Colby, Ira 13

Dunbar, George W 165

Eastman, Charles H 134

Farwell, George N 130

Fisher, Leonard P 139

Freeman, P. C 14

G Ihue, David P 362

Goas, B. F 177

Craves, L. J 137

PAGE

Hall, Rufus 178

Hatch, Mason 298

Howard, Rev. Lewis 359

McDaniel, Charles 363

Parker, H. W 9

Quimby, Samuel 358

Richards, Josiah 138

Runals. A > 382

Sanborn, Thomas 300

Smith, Alvah 1H4

Swett, John L 297

Tolles, Nathaniel .'. 135

Wait, A. S 16

Vll

BIOGRAPHICAL

CHESHIRE COUNTY.

PAGE

Apple ton. Jessie R 191

Ball, David 582

Boyden, Elijah 302

Boyden, Frederic 368

Brings, Oliver L 522

Buffum, Caleb T 106

Buffum, Haskell 518

Burt, Charles W 19

Burt, Lieutenant-Colonel William II 15

Carpenter, Algernon 8 112

Chamberlain Family , 513

Cole, Theodore 520

Dickinson, Ansel 584

Elliot Family 104

Esty, Henry 524

Faulkner, Hon. F. A 13

Faulkner, Francis A 12

French, Abijali 516

Frost, Bufus S 300

Fuller, John H Ids

Graves, Josiab G 454

Greenwood, Colonel W. II '. 304

Gustine, Edward 113

TAGE

Haile, William 367

Hale, Ex-Governor Samuel W 107

Harris, Gordis D 109

Heinenway, Luther 306

Holbrook, Daniel H 110

Holbrook.J. J ill

Horton, Edgar K 530

Horton, Egbert C 530

Knowlton, Janus 311

Lane, F. F 11

Leonard, Levi W. C 193

McCollester, Rev. S. II 295

Patten, Daniel W 528

Robertson, George 371

Stearns, John 374

Thompson, Albert 525

Turner, Family ;,83

Twitchell, Dr. Amos 113

White, Shubael 527

Whitney, Charles 0 308

Wilkinson, Solon S 313

Winch, Nathan 310

SULLIVAN COUNTY,

PAGE

Adams, Daniel N ."•. 356

Baker, Edward D 15

Balcom, George L 131

Barton, L. W 302

Clark, William 132

Colby, Ira 13

Dunbar, George W 165

Eastman, Charles II 134

Earwill, George N 130

Fisher, Leonard 1' 139

Freeman, P. C 14

Goss, Benjamin F 177

Goodhue, David P 362

Graves, L. J 137

PAGE

Hall, Rufus 178

Hatch, Mason 298

Howard, Rev. Lewis 359

McDaniel, Charles 363

Parker, II. W 9

Paris, Sherman, residence of 33

Quimby, Samuel 358

Richards, Josiah 138

Runals Family (the) 382

Sanborn, Thomas 300

Smith, Alvah 194

Swett, John L 297

Tolles, Nathaniel 135

Wait, Albert S 16

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HISTORY

CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

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CHAPTER I.

GENERAL HISTORY.
BY WILLARD BILL.

Geographical — Topographical — Geological — Botanical —
Manufactures — Courts and County Buildings — County
Officers — Aboriginal Occupancy — Population from 1867
to 1880.

Geographical. — The province of New
Hampshire was divided into five counties in 1771.
One of these was named Cheshire, deriving its
name from a county in the west of England, cele-
brated for its manufacture of cheese; hence,
the name originally. Keene and Charlestown
were made the shire-towns. July 5, 1827, the
county was divided, the northern portion taking
the name of Sullivan County. This division
left Cheshire County with its present limits,
situate in the southwestern part of the State,
bounded on the north by Sullivan County, east
by Hillsborough County, south by the State of
Massachusetts, and west by the west bank of
the Connecticut River. It extends its greatest
length thirty-one miles north and south, and
twenty -six miles in extreme width east and
west. It contains twenty-three towns, eight of
which were incorporated in the reign of George
II., — namely, Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Keene,
Richmond, Swanzey, Walpole, Westmoreland
and Winchester, — ten in the reign of George
III., — namely, Alstead, Dublin, Fitzwilliam,
1

Gilsum, Jaffrey, Marlow, Nelson, Rindge,
Surry, Stoddard, — and five under the govern-
ment of New Hampshire, — namely, Harris-
ville, Marlborough, Roxburv, Sullivan and
Troy.

Topographical. — The surface of Cheshire
County is greatly diversified. From the valley
of the Connecticut on its west to the towering
height of Grand Monadnock on the east, rising
to an altitude of three thousand one hundred and
eighty-six feet, is a succession of hill and valley
and plain, in various places of great natural
beauty.

Numerous lakes and ponds feed a network of
streams of greater or lesser extent. The Con-
necticut River is the largest stream in both
State and county. Rising among the mountains
of the extreme north of the State, it flows in a
southerly direction, forming the boundary line
on its west low-water bank between the States
of New Hampshire and Vermont ; thence, pass-
ing through the States of Massachusetts and
Connecticut, it empties into Long Island Sound.

Its valley is noted for its productiveness. Ex-
cluding the falls, the average fall of the river
is about one and one-half feet to the mile. At
Bellows Falls its descent is forty-nine feet,
furnishing ample power for manufacturing uses.

Other streams lend beauty and utility to the
surface of the county, the principal of which
are the Ashuelot, Cold and branches of the

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Contoocook. The Aslmelot River, rising in
numerous ponds in Washington", Sullivan
County, flowing in a southwesterly direction
through the towns of Mario w, Gilsura, Surry,
Keene, Swanzey, Winchester and Hinsdale,
where it empties into the Connecticut, is one of
the most important manufacturing streams in
the State. All along its course are many im-
proved water-powers. It is fed by branches
from ponds that have been converted by dams
into reservoirs, and thereby affording many
water-powers of themselves. One of these rises
in Stoddard and flows through the northwest
corner of Nelson, southeast corner of Sullivan
ami northwest corner of Roxbury to Keene,
and one from Dublin through Marlborough to
South Keene, where it joins the branch from
Stoddard. Another stream comes from Troy,
flowing through the southwest corner of Marl-
borough and joins the Aslmelot in Swanzey.
The Aslmelot is about forty miles in length,
from its source to the Connecticut ; falls about
one thousand feet, and drains a basin of three
hundred and seventy-five square miles, or two
hundred and forty thousand acres.

The Cold River, rising in Sullivan County,
flows, in a southwesterly direction, seventeen
miles through Alstead and Walpole, and
furnishes water-power to a limited extent. It
drains a basin of sixty thousand acres nearly.

The branches of the Contoocook River, in
the eastern portion of the county, furnish some
good water-powers. The Partridge Brook,
rising in Lake Spofford, flows through Chester-
field and Westmoreland, where it empties into
the Connecticut, is a rapid stream, falling five
hundred feet in its course of nearly six miles,
and affording constant water-power, but only
partially utilized. In a tabulated form we give
the principal bodies of water in the county,
with ana of each in square miles and decimals
thereof, with altitude in feet above the sea,
and towns where located, —

Area. Altitude.

Warnn Pond, Alstead 0.5 550

Spofford Lake, Chesterfield 1.0 738

Breed Pond, Nelson 0.7 1250

Woodward Pond, Roxbury 0.3 1150

Swanzey Pond, Swanzey 0.2

Stacy Pond, Stoddard 0.7

Area. Altitude.

Spoonwood Pond, Nelson 0.25

Long Pond, Nelson and Hancock 1.2 1338

North Pond, Harrisville 0.2 1218

Geological. — When, in the beginning:, this
planet, earth, was hurled, revolving, into space
by the power of an Almighty hand, a seething,
fiery, gaseous mass of molten elements, it
gradually took form from its revolutions, and
thereby consistence and compactness. In the pro-
gress of centuries the surface became crusted
over, holding within its bosom a mighty mass of
molten matter, frequently convulsed by throes of
sufficient power to elevate mountain heights and
depress to ocean beds, separating, disintegrating
and mixing the earth's crust in a manner to
print in ineffaceable characters the great story
of the Creation, — a creation not yet completed.
In Cheshire County we find those characters
frequent and prominent. Briefly — very briefly,
for space forbids otherwise — we will endeavor
to sketch a few of the more prominent " Foot-
prints of the Creator." From the elementary
or molten period the earth passed into the
igneous period. We now see the unstratified
rocks, of which the enduring granite is the low-
est of the series and the great frame-work of the
earth's crust, and by far the most abundant,
rising to the greatest heights, thrown up by
the subterranean forces. From an endless
monotonous plain these forces are now operat-
ing with a power beyond all human conception
to transform this plain into a broken surface,
from mountain peak to ocean bed. Of granite,
Cheshire County contributes her full share of
earning the sobriquet of the "Granite State."
Her quarries of granite are unsurpassed. The
coarser granites are of the oldest formation.
Cotemporary with the beginning of the
igneous period, the atmosphere, heavily
charged with minerals in a gaseous form,
condensing from the enecf of the cooling earth,
was deposited, forming another coating of rock
material. This was the vaporous period. So
far the earth had been surrounded by an
atmosphere so dense and dark that the light of
star nor moon nor sun could penetrate. Now
the progress of creation was ripe for the settling
of the atmospheric moisture into the hollows of

GENERAL HISTORY.

the earth. It became nearly covered with
water. This is the aqueous period. Then came
the long, cold night, when the summer sun
failed to thaw the snow and ice that gathered
in mighty masses, covering mountains in
height, forming glaciers of continental extent,
that planed and transformed the rugged
volcanic surfaces into new vestments, and
printing its history in characters the plainest of
all. An enormous mass of ice, thousands of
feet in depth, moved down the valley of the
Connecticut, grinding, crushing, planing its
way. A tributary glacier flowed down the
Ashuelot Valley. This mass of ice pressed so
heavily downward as to compact the earth into
the lower hill, or, what is generally known,
and appropriately so, as hard pan.

This ice-sheet carried along in its track huge
fragments of detached rock, which, grinding
and rounding, it deposited in the form of boul-
ders, generally upon the higher lands. In var-
ious places they are plentiful. The glaciers
moved in a southeasterly direction, and this
movement must have resulted from a different
chorography of country than exists at the present
time. The interior of the continent must have
been elevated many feet. This elevation and
after-depression must have been of slow prog-
ress. This movement is still operating in var-
ious places. As the glacier moved down the
valley, hard -rock fragments were frozen into
the bottom of the ice-sheet ; these, driven along
by fearful power, acted as chisels or gouges,
deeply scratching the ledges along the course of
its progress. These strise are everywhere found.
Mount Monadnock is striated from base to brow.
Mr. G. A. Wheelock, a local geologist of repute,
entertains the belief that this mountain was an
island in a sea of icebergs, which struck equally
strong upon the northwest and southeast sides.
Could our rocks be uncovered from the over-
lying earth, they would generally show the result
of their mighty planing and rounding in their
striae. Now the continent slowly depresses, a
geological spring-time dawns, a warmer climate
prevails, the vast fields of ice and snow melt
rapidly, mighty floods pour down the valleys
with resistless fury. Changes impossible to be
wrought by a moving river of ice, mountain-

high, are easily effective before a rushing torrent
of water. Now comes the era of modified
drift, with its deposits of stratified, water-worn
gravel, sand, clay or silt, an era extending from
the departure of the great northern ice-sheet
down to the present time. The glacial or drift
period embraces two eras, — the drift and the
alluvium. The former is characterized by re-
peated elevations and depressions. It was then
a " foundering land, under a severe sky, beaten
by tempests and lashed by tides, with glaciers
choking its cheerless valleys, and with countless
icebergs brushing its coasts and grating over its
shallows." The alluvium era witnesses the per-
fection of the earth to an extent that fits it as
the proper abode of man.

" From harmony — from heavenly harmony —
This universal frame began ;
From harmony to harmony,
Through all the compass of the notes it ran,
The diapason closing full in man."

The eastern portion of the county is a prime-
val ridge, though it was submerged at times,
and is underlaid by the oldest rock formations.
This ridge belongs to a chain of ridges that was
the first to appear above the ocean. The de-
pression of the Connecticut Valley, that embraces
a large portion of the county, carries with it the
later rocks, and has been, and is, the source of
drainage of the highlands to the northward.

The eastern part of the county, comprising
portions of Jaffrey, Dublin, Harrisville, Nelson
and Stoddard, rests upon the edge of a large
area of porphyritic gneiss. Another area of it
forms the elevated and rugged portions of the
towns of Chesterfield, Swanzey, Winchester and
Hinsdale, while it appears in Fitzwilliam, Jaf-
frey and Marlow. A variety of gneiss known
as the protogene gneiss extends from the State
line, through Winchester, Richmond, Swanzey
and Keene, to Surry, where it changes its form
and extends to and into Sullivan County. In
Surry and Keene the protogene is often found
of a deep red color. Encircling this protogene
we find hornblende, schist, and, girting this,
quartzite. A large surface area of the Montal-
ban schist in one tract extends from Stoddard to
the State line through the towns of Rindge,
Fitzwilliam, Richmond, Troy, Jaffrey, Marlbor-

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ough, Roxbury, Sullivan, Nelson and Stoddard.
These rocks are feldspathic and ordinary mica
schist. The mica is seen in large spangles,
either black or white. In Rindge a variety is
found in which quartz predominates, heavily
charged with iron pyrites, that decomposes when
brought in contact with the atmosphere; the
rock crumbles and the soil is colored reddish-
yellow from the presence of the iron peroxide.

The Montalban rocks in Cheshire County
arc supposed to be of the same age with that
which composes the summits of the higher
White Mountains. A band of micaceous
quartzite, full of fibrolite, two miles wide, crosses
the towns of Marlow, Alstead, Gilsum and
Surry, carrying gigantic veins of granite, in
which the mica plates arc large and of commer-
cial value. For many years they have been
mined in Alstead for glass. The latest group
of rocks so far found in the county are known
as the Coos group. Its constituents are quartz-
ite, argil lite and calcareous schist. A large
area of Walpole is covered by the former, and
ii is found in all the towns adjoining the Con-
necticut River. Mount Wantastiquet, in Hins-
dale and ( liesterfield, is composed of argillaceous
and mica schist. The eruptive rocks are very
sparingly represented in this county. The only
eruptive rock of any extent in the valley of the
Connecticut in this county is found in West-
moreland and forms most of the hill southeast
of the west depot. Inclosed in the Montalban
schists of Fitzwilliam, Troy, Marlborough and
Roxbury we find oval deposits of eruptive
granite. These are extensively quarried, and
are held in high repute for building and monu-
mental purposes. Permeating Surry Mountain
are veins of quartz, bearing metalliferous depos-
its. A large outlay has been expended in efforts
to mine it, but not, so far, with success. De-
posits of infusorial silica, formed of decayed
organisms, are found of excellent quality in
various place- and especially so in Fitzwilliam.
Bog iron-ores of the nature of ochre occur at
Chesterfield, Walpole, JafFrey and Surry.

BOTANICAL. — From papers prepared by
William F. Flint, B.S., of Winchester, we
glean the following facts relating to the botany
of Cheshire County. Altitude has much to do

in the distribution of plants. A large part of
the area of the county has an altitude of more
than five hundred feet above the sea-level.
Following the trend of the Montalban rocks,
in the eastern part of the county we find vege-
tation of the Canadian type. In the valley of
the Connecticut and of its tributaries we find a
larger number of species, some characteristic of
Southern New England. The county was
formerly covered by a dense forest, through
which the sun scarcely penetrated at mid-day.
Along the valleys of the Connecticut and
Ashuelot Rivers were forests of the finest white
pine,' the most valued of our timbers, and
reserved by King George in his grants of the
several townships for His Majesty's navy. I lis
officers provoked the displeasure of the early
settlers by carving their "broad arrows" on the
tallest mast-trees. The higher lands were
covered with heavy growths of hemlock,
maples, birches, beeches and red oak, while belts
>f spruce were common.

The original . forest presented the same
characteristics as at the present day, save the
restrictions imposed by the lumberman. The
old pine forests are represented by thick,
thrifty growths of their saplings. These are
general all over the county. • Their conversion
into wooden-ware has been and is a source of a
large industry and of much wealth. Next to
the pine, the hemlock is the most frequently
found of any conifer; originally they competed
with the pine in diameter and height. In the
cold swamps of the river towns and throughout
the eastern towns we find the black spruce and
the balsam fir, and upon the dry drift knolls
and sandy plains we find the pitch-pine. In
the cold peat swamps and springy lands of
Fitzwilliam, Rindge and Jaffrev we find the
tamarack in abundance. A variety of the yew,
generally known as the "ground hemlock," is
common. Passing from the sombre evergreen,
we turn to the deciduous trees, presenting every
phase of change, from the leafless branches of
winter-time to the delicate green of spring, the
full foliage of summer and the gorgeous hues
of autumn, when nature's artist paints with
every conceivable shade of color in tints that
art cannot produce, and giving to the American

GENERAL HISTORY.

forests a beauty nowhere else to be found. Of
the deciduous trees, the maple is the best
represented. The white maple is mostly found
in the valleys, upon the intervale lands. The
red maple is common everywhere. The rock
or sugar maple is the largest of the genus, is
found in all of the towns, and fills an impor-
tant part in the economy of the county, furnish-
ing both sugar and timber. The largest groves
of the rock maple are found in the northern
and eastern towns of the county. Gilsum,
particularly, is noted for its manufacture of
sugar. The birch is generally found, but
attains its fullest development in the eastern
towns. The gray and black birch are more
common in the southern and southwestern
towns, while the yellow and white birch arc
found everywhere. The bass is quite common
upon the banks of the river terraces. The
black cherry and the white ash are found
sparingly in nearly all the deciduous forests.
Confined to a strip of territory five to ten
miles wide, bordering the Connecticut River,
we find the elm, chestnut, white oak, black oak
and three species of the hickory. The red oak
is very generally distributed. Upon the
alluvial soil of the Connecticut we find the
cottonwood, the butternut and the balm of
Gilead, or balsam poplar. Two species of the
poplar are found, — the one of small dimensions,
often springing up in great abundance where
woodlands are cut away ; the other, the black
poplar, is of more pretentious proportions. In
spring its young leaves are clothed with white
down, that can be seen a long distance, and
thereby readily distinguished. Of the shrubby
plants, the heath family has about twenty
species in the county. This is a family distin-
guished alike for beauty and abundance of
bloom, and for economic purposes. Included in
this family are two cranberries, three species oi
blackberry and the huckleberry. The rhodo-
dendrons are the finest of the heaths. The
maximum species is found in Fitzwilliam and
Richmond. To this family belongs the kal-
mias, including the mountain laurel, found in
the southern portion of the county. The rose
family is numerously represented. Of the
herbaceous plants we have a large family.

Wild flowers abound everywhere. The space
of this article will not permit us to mention but
few of the species of vegetation with which the
Creator has made glad our fields and forests.

Soil and Staple Productions. — Natur-
ally, in a county so greatly diversified in eleva-
tion by valleys, plains and hills, we should find
the soil varying materially ; even the intervale
lands along the several streams bear very little
similarity in fineness or productiveness. Often
we see the lesser streams dividing: lands of
striking dissimilarity and of natural fertility.

The intervale lands along the Connecticut
River are proverbial for grain-growing capa-
city. Some of the finest farms in the entire
State are found in the four towns bordering
upon this stream. Along the Ashuelot Valley
are extensive plains, whose soils widely vary,
and, lacking the dense fogs of the former
stream, is subject to later frosts in the spring
and earlier in the autumn. Many fine farms,
however, are found along this stream. The
uplands are of a granitic nature, and, as a
general rule, far less productive than in former
times; much of it is too rough for cultivation,
and is better adapted to the growing of timber
than of grain. The plain lands are easier to
cultivate, but require the best of husbandry to
produce satisfactory results.

Judicious drainage has converted many un-
sightly, worthless swamps into the best of grass
lands.

The census of LS80 conveys an idea of the
county staple productions. With 2836 farms,
embracing an area of 233,84") acres of improved
land, there was grown 14,165 bushels of barley,
2416 bushels of buckwheat, 150,788 bushels of
Indian corn, 90,774 bushels of oats, 3958
bushels of rye, 2666 bushels of wheat, 55,660
tons of hay, 214,809 bushels of potatoes,
141,218 pounds of tobacco, and orchard pro-
ducts to the value of S->7,X77. These farm-
supported 4109 horses, 7 mules, 2222 working-
oxen, 7792 milch cows, 13,147 neat-stock,
24,296' sheep and 4788 swine.

The stock products for the year were 128,670
pounds of wool, 181,281 gallons of milk,
732,610 pounds of butter and 63,376 pounds
of cheese.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Notwithstanding the large amount of grain

grown within the county, the consumption of
Western grain has yearly been steadily aud
heavily increasing.

Manufactures. — Cheshire County is, to a
considerable extent, engaged in manufactures ;
the southern portion of the county espeeially
so. Here the wooden-ware business found its
early home and abiding-place, contributing
largely to the prosperity of several towns. The
waters of the Ashuelot and of its tributary
streams move a large amount of cotton and
woolen machinery, while the manufacture of
pottery, shoes, leather, paper, lumber and ma-
chinery receives considerable attention, con-
siderable investment and the employment of
many people. At Walpole is located an
extensive brewery. The census of 1880
enumerated 317 manufacturing establishments
in this county, with an invested capital of
$3,758,815, giving employment to 4523 hands,
whose wages amounted to $1,290,427. The
total value of raw material used was $4,502,889,
and the total product was $7,768,943.

Conns and County Buildings. — From
the division of the county, in 1827, Keene has
been the shire-town of Cheshire County. Here
the Inferior Court held its first session in
October, 1771, and the Superior Court in
September, 1772. These first sessions were,
undoubtedly, held in the old meeting-house
that stood in the northeast corner of Central
Square and opposite Gerould's block. For
ten years following the erection of the present
Congregational Church, in 1786, the courts
were held therein. The centre pews and seats
were removed temporarily during the session,
and a bench and a table, called a bar, substi-
tuted for the use of the judges and lawyers.

The first building especially erected for the
purpose of a court-house stood near the old
meeting-house, and was built in 1796. It was
built mainly through individual enterprise. It
rendered service for twenty-eight years, when
it was sold, moved and converted into dwellings.
The next court-house was erected in 1824-25.
[ts site is now occupied by the north end of
Gerould's block and the block of F. F. Lane,
Esq., upon the corner of Central Square and

Winter Street. The county, for the considera-
tion of five dollars, secured a deed of this site,
of Joseph Dorr, March 20, 1824, with a stipu-
lated condition that the lot should be used for
county purposes only. The condition having
been broken, a suit was brought against the
county for the recovery o± the lot and building
thereon by the owner of the reversionary right,
Samuel Wood. This suit was protracted for
six years. Finally, at the March term, 1856,
Wood's executors secured judgment, and the lot
passed from the possession of the county.

The present court-house lot was secured in
five different purchases, — namely, from Henry
Coolidge, April 13, 1840, two thousand six
hundred square feet for nine hundred dollars ;
from Abijah Wilder a lot north and west ol
above-named lot, July, 1K4S, for one thousand
dollars; again of the same party, in 1<S57, an
additional tract for two thousand dollars ; and,
in 1858, another tract. Having secured a lot,
the county proceeded to erect the present house.
Commenced in 1858, it was completed in Feb-
ruary, 1859, at a cost of nearly twenty-eight
thousand dollars. Thomas M. Edwards, ot
Keene, Nelson Converse, of Marlborough, Sam-
uel Isham,ofGilsum, were the committee having
the supervision of its erection. Gridley J. F.
Bryant was the architect and Joel Ballard the
contractor. This building, although considered
at the time amply sufficient for all coming
wants of a court-house, still already it is appar-
ent that more room will be required in the not
distant future. In 1 884 the county erected a
spacious, costly, and elegant jail upon lots pur-
chased of J. H. Elliot, long known as " the
old glass-factory lot." When this lot is com-
pleted and adorned as contemplated, together
with all the conveniences and extras that a lib-
eral outlay of money could procure in the plans
of the buildings, then the convict class will in-
deed have a most elegant residence. Upon the
opening of the new jail the House of Correction
was removed from Westmoreland and located
therein. Without enumerating the names of the
several justices of the several courts, we will
give a list of the several clerks of courts as
being more particularly identified with the
count v, —

GENERAL HISTORY.

Clerks of Courts.

Common Pleas.

Simeon Jones, October, 1771, to April, 1775.
Thomas Sparhawk, April, 1779, to September, 1812.
Salma Hale, September, 1812, to April, 1834.

Superior Court of Judicature.

George King, 1772 to 1778.

George Atkinson, 1778 to 1780.

Samuel Shurburne, 1780 to October, 1781.

Nathaniel Adams, October, 1781, to October, 1816.

For Both Courts.
Salma Hale, May, 1817, to April, 1834.
Henry Coolidge, April, 1834, to April, 1843.
Leonard Biscoe, April, 1843, to December, 1857.
Edward Farrar, December, 1857, to the present

date.

Judges of Probate.

Simeon Olcott, from 1771 to 1775.

Thomas Sparhawk, from 1775 to 1789.

John Hubbard, from 1789 to 1802.

Abel Parker, from 1802 to 1823.

Samuel Dinsmore, from 1823 to 1831.

Aaron Matson, from 1831 to 1835.

Frederick Vose, from 1835 to 1841.

Larkin Baker, from 1841 to 1864.

Silas Hardy, from 1864 to 1874.

Harvey Carlton, from 1874 to 1876.

Josiah G. Bellows, from 1876 to the present date.

Registers of Probate.

Thomas Sparhawk, 1771.

Ichabod Fisher, 1775.

Micah Lawrence, 1785.

. Samuel Stevens, from 1793 to 1823.

Frederic A. Sumner, from 1823 to 1827.

Asa Parker, from 1827 to 1833.

Elijah Sawyer, from 1833 to 1847.

George F. Starkweather, from 1847 to 1851.

George W. Sturtevant, from 1851 to 1857.

Calvin May, Jr., from 1857 to 1859.

Silas Hardy, from 1859 to 1863.

George Ticknor, from 1863 to 1866.

Allen Giffin, from 1866 to 1871.

Frank H. Hies, from 1871 to 1873.

Dauphin W. Buckminster, from 1873 to 1880.

Henry O. Coolidge, from January, 1880, to the

present date.

Registers of Deeds.

Josiah Willard, from 1771 to .

James Campbell, from to 1824.

Lewis Campbell, from 1824 to 1837.
John Foster,1 from 1837 to 1838.
Charles Sturtevant, from 1838 to 1845.
Isaac Sturtevant, from 1845 to 1846.

Appointed to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of
Lewis Campbell.]

Barton Skinner, from 1846 to 1852.
Charles Sturtevant, from 1852 to 1853.
Harvey A. Bill, from 18r>3 to 1855.
Charles Sturtevant, from 1)555 to 1859.
Calvin May, from 1859 to L862
Isaac W. Derby,2 from 1862 to ISli t.
John J. Allen, from 1863 to 1J
Charles C. Buffum, from 1883 to present ijate.

High Sheriffs.

Previous to 1878 this office was appointive. Subse-
quent to this date Ralph Holt held the office from
June, 1879, to January, 1880.

Horace A. Perry, from 1880 to the present date.

Road Commissioners.

1845 —Barton Skinner, Jonathan K. Smith, Asahel
I. Humphrey.

1846.— Jonathan K. Smith, Aaron P. Howland,
Daniel W. Farrar.

1852.— Augustus Noyes, Jonathan S. Adams, Jon-
athan Harvey, Jr.

1853 —Augustus Noyes, Lanson Robertson, Samuel

Slade, Jr.

1854.— Samuel Slade, Jr., Laban Rice, Edmund
Jones.

1855.— Nelson Converse, Arvin Aldrich, John Sy-

monds.

County Commissioners.

John A. Prescott, 1857; Lanson Robertson, 1858 ;
Willard Adams, 1859; Samuel Atherton, 1860; Aaron
P. Howland, 1861; Jonathan S. Adams, 1862; Sum-
ner Knight, 1863; Zebulon Converse, 1864; David A.
Felt, 1865; Sumner Knight, 1866; H. O. Coolidge,
1867; Franklin H. Cutter, 1868; Joshua B.Clark,
1869; Aaron Smith, 1870 ; John Humphrey,3 1871 ;
Alonzo A.Ware, 1872; Willard Bill, Jr., 1873 ; Joseph

B. Abbott, 1874 ; Charles H. Whitney, 1875 ; George

C. Hubbard, 1876 ; Charles R. Sargeaut, 1877 ; Gard-
ner C. Hill," 1878.

Subsequent to the change of the Constitution
the following have been elected :

1878.— Charles R. Sargeant, Gardner C. Hill, Levi
A. Fuller.

1880.— Levi A. Fuller, Joseph B. Abbott, George
W. Stearns.

1882.— Joseph B. Abbott, George W. Stearns, Al-
fred W. Burt,

2 Resigned in 1863 and John J. Allen was appointed in
his place November 10th. He was elected in 1861 and re-
signed in 1883.

3 Resigned, and Aaron Smith was appointed to the va-
cancy.

•Trior to the constitutional change of 1878 the county
commissioners held their office for a term of three years,
and one was elected annually to fill the vacancy of a re-
tiring member. At the present time three are chosen
biennially.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

1884.— Joseph B. Abbott, Alfred W. Burt, Elbridge
Kingsbury.

Internal Improvements. — The early set-
tlement of Cheshire County came from the
southward Tlie Connecticut River was its
highwa had been the favorite highway of

the Indian. It was the first highway of the
settlers of the valley and country adjacent
thereto. At first the hark canoe plied upon its
waters ; then came the rude flat-boat, followed
by boats of more perfected proportions, spread-
ing to the breezes winged sails, and, lastly,
attempts, but not of practical success, of steam-
propellers. At one time boating and rafting
assumed considerable proportions upon the
liver, but upon the construction of the railroad
lines it passed away. Undoubtedly the first
experiments at steamboating were made upon
the Upper Connecticut as early as 1793 by Cap-
tain Samuel Mory, and some years prior to
Fulton's operations. In 1827 a steamer named
the " Barnet" ascended the river from Hartford
to Bellows Falls, creating no little curiosity as
it came puffing up the river. In after-years
other attempts at steamboating were made upon
the Upper Connecticut, but were not of long
duration.

Aboriginal Occupancy. — That portion of
the Connecticut River valley north of the Deer-
field River in Massachusetts was claimed and
occupied by a tribe of Indians known as the
Squakheags. Their territory included Cheshire
County as far as the Monadnock Mountain to
tin east. So far as known, it was not a strong
tribe, and does not bear a conspicuous position
in aboriginal history. It probably was closely
allied to some of the surrounding tribes, notably
with the Xasliaways, who lived upon the
Nashua and Merrimack Rivers. The Squak-
heags continued to occupy this vicinity until
1720, when it appears that they disbanded, a
large portion of whom must have passed to the
northward and joined the St. Francis tribe in
Canada. This tribe, in later years, in junc-
tion with the French, were especially active
in spreading desolation throughout this sec-
tion, of which the sketches of the several towns
relate. Tradition has handed down to us the
many favorite resorts in the county which the

Indians were wont to frequent for hunting and
fishing purposes.

rh-

Sullivan .
Surry . . .
Swanzey .
Troy. . .
Waipole .
Westmorela
Winchester

—

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Chesterfiekl
Dublin. .
Fitzwilliam
Gilsuni .
Harrisville
Hinsdale .
Jaffrey . .
Keene . .
Marlboroug
Mario w .
Nelson . .
Richmond
Rindge. .
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Settlement. — It has been before stated that
settlement came upward from the south along
the Connecticut River; but it was retarded, again

BENCH AND BAR.

and again beaten back, mainly through the
animosity and depredations of Indians. Reach-
ing the mouth of the Ashuelot, it appears that
it left the Great River. Reaching Upper Ashuelot
(now Keene), in 1734, the same year it took
root at Lower Ashuelot (Swanzey), Earlington
(Winchester). Some two years after, in 1736,
a settlement was made at Hinsdale, and later in
the towns above on the Great River. Until
the close of the Revolutionary War settlement
proceeded slowly ; it then took a new impetus
and proceeded rapidly.

We insert on the preceding page a census table,
containing a tabulated statement showing the
movement of population of the several towns
in Cheshire County at each census since 1767,
inclusive, with dates of incorporation and first
called names.

In 1861 the tocsin of war sounded high and
loud over a startled land, and the wires flashed
the dread news that armed rebellion had fired
upon Sumter's fated walls. In the great up-
rising of the North that followed, in the defense
of the nation, Cheshire County responded to
every call for troops with alacrity. On South-
ern soil it shed its best blood in order that the
country might live. The lapse of time has
dimmed in part the remembrance of the heroism
of that hour, but we now enjoy the fruits of no-
ble effort and of victory won. The following
table shows the number of soldiers furnished bv
each town in response to the several calls, the
number of soldiers who were killed or died in
the service and the amount of municipal war
loan awarded to each town, —

Killed Municipal

Towns. Soldiers, and Died. War Loan.

Alstead 98 ... $8,375.00

Chesterfield 85 20 7,416.67

Dublin 91 25 9,100.00

Fitzwilliam 101 45 7,991.67

Gilsum 57 ... 5,400.00

Hinsdale 112 ... 10,533.33

Jaffrey 119 ... 9,933.33

Keene 404 25 37,900.00

Marlborough 56 ... 5,600.00

Marlow 52 18 4,866.67

Nelson 69 6 5,981.67

Richmond 68 14 5,050.00

Rindge 86 16 8,250,00

Roxbury 17 ... 1,633.33

Stoddard 66 3 5,358.00

Towns. Soldiers.

Sullivan 26

Surry 32

Swanzey 14S

Troy...'. 54

Walpole 145

Westmoreland 82

Winchester 134

Killed

Municipal

id Died.

War Loan.

2,600.00

2,666.67

12,325.00

4,425.00

12,650.00

7,975.00

...

12,866.67

CHAPTER II

BENCH AND BAR.

Among the earliest members of the legal pro-
fession in this section of New England was
Elijah Williams, a native of Deerfield, Mass.,
who settled in Keene in 1771. During; the Rev-
olntion his sympathies were with the mother-
country, and after the battle of Lexington he
joined the British in Boston. He died in Deer-
field.

Hon. Daniel Newcomb settled in Keene in
1778 and commenced practice there in 17<s.°>.
He was appointed chief judge of Cheshire
County in 1790; was justice of the Superior
Court of Judicature from April I), 179(3, to 1798.
He was the first State Senator from Keene. He
died July 14, 1818.

Hon. Peter Sprague was an early lawyer
in Keene. He became prominent here in 1792.
He was elected to Congress in 1797 and re-
elected in 1799. He died in 1800.

Noah Cooke settled in Keene in 1791, and
remained in practice there until his death, on
October 15, 1829. He was admitted as an at-
torney in 1784.

Hon. Samuel Dinsmoob was born in Wind-
ham July 1, 1766. He graduated at Dartmouth
in 1789, and settled in Keene in 1792. He
was appointed postmaster in 1808, and in 1811
was elected to Congress. He held numerous
positions of trust and responsibility, and was
elected Governor of New Hampshire in 1831,
1832 and 1833. He died March 15, 1835.

Among those in practice in Keene from 1794
to 1813 were Hon. Samuel Hunt (member of
Congress), David Forbes, Samuel West, Noah
R. Cooke, Foster Alexander, Lockhart Willard,

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Elijah Dunbar, Samuel Prescott, Seth New-
comb, E. Butterfield and Wm. Gordon.

Hon. James Wilsojn commenced practice in
Kccnc in L815. He graduated at Harvard
University in L789, and was admitted to the
bar in L792. In L809 he was elected to Con-
gress. He died January I, L839. Mr. Wilson
was a lawyer of distinguished ability, and bad
but few equals in the State Joseph Buffum, Jr.,
commenced practice in Keene in L816. He was
elected to < longress in 1819.

Levi < !h amukklain was one of the leading
lawyers in New Hampshire. He held various
official positions, and in 1849 was the Whig can-
didate for Governor. He was a member of the
Peace Congress in 1861. He died August 31,
1868. He was in stature tall, elegant in manner,
genial and witty.

Joel Pabker was admitted to the bar in
Keene in 1817. He was appointed justice of
the Supreme Court of Judicature from January
S, 1833, and was chief justice from June 25,
L838, to June 24, 1848. He was subsequently
professor of law in Harvard for a period of
twenty years.

The following were in practice in Keene in
L818 : Xoah Cooke, Samuel Dinsmoor, Foster
Alexander, Elijah Dunbar, Joseph Buffum,
Jr., .lames Wilson, Levi Chamberlain, Elijah
Parker, Joel Parker, Fr. Gardner and Thomas
M. Edwards. Elijah Parker was a graduate of
Dartmouth College and a prominent lawyer in
Keene for many years.

Thomas M. Edwards graduated at Dart-
mouth in 1813. He was born in Providence
in 1 T'.lo, and was brought here by his parents at
an early age. He was postmaster in Keene
from L817 to 1829; was member of Legisla-
ture, Presidential elector, member of Congress,
and was first president of the Cheshire Rail-
road. He was a prominent citizen of Keene, a
thorough scholar, an able lawyer and a success-
ful financier. lie was a man of great energy
ami executive ability. He died May 1, 187o.

Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr., -on oi Governor
Samuel Dinsmoor, was a prominent and in-
fluential citizen. lb- was clerk of the Sen-
ate i„ L826, L827, L829 and L831 ; he was
postmaster at Keene, cashier of the Ashuelot

Bank and later its president, and was Governor
of New Hampshire in 1849, 1850 and 1851.
He died February 24, L869.

General James Wilson commenced prac-
tice in Keene in 1823. He was one of Keene's
most active, prominent and esteemed citizens.
Except the years 1838 and 1839, when he was
a candidate for Governor (and L833), he was in
continuous service in the Legislature from 1825
to 1840. In 1828 he was Speaker of the House.
He was elected to Congress in 1 847 and re-
elected in 1849. Upon the breaking out of the
Rebellion he was offered a brigadier-general's

commission, which ill health prevented him
from accepting. He represented Keene in the
Legislature in 1870 and 1871.

Phinehas Handerson was born in Am-
herst, Mass., December 13, 1778. He studied
law in the office of Hon. George B. Upham, of
Claremont. Soon after his admission to the 'bar
he established himself in Chesterfield, at that
time one of the most flourishing towns in the
State. He was president of Cheshire bar from
the time of the organization of the county until
his death, March 16,1853. lie removed to
Keene in 1833. Hon. Levi Chamberlain speaks
of him as "one of the most respected and influ-
ential members of the profession, and that influ-
ence was the result of his faithful, upright and
able performance of duty."

The various public trusts to which he was
repeatedly called by those who knew him best
show in what estimation he was held by his
fellow-citizens. His only son, Henry C. Han-
derson, served as captain in the war; was after-
wards postmaster in Keene, where he died in
1874. His seven daughters are still living;
two unmarried in the homestead in Keene.

(See town history of Chesterfield for additional
facts.)

Salma Hale was a well-known lawyer of
Kerne, highly respected and esteemed. He
was deeply interested in matter- pertaining to
the history of Keene, and prepared the "Annals
of Keene," a volume of rare interest. Beside
holding other official positions, he was elected a
member of ( !ongress.

William P. Wheeler was a lawyer who
ranked with the ablest in the State. He was

BENCH AND BAR.

admitted to practice in 1 -S 12 and settled in
Keene, where lie remained until his death, in
May, 1 876. He was a >unty s< dicitor for ten years.
and in 1855 and 1857 was a candidate for Con-
gress.

Fak.ni'.m Fish LANE,nowthe oldest membei
of the Cheshire County bar, and for several
years president of* the Cheshire County Bar As
sociation, was born in Swanzey, N. H., March
15, 1816.

The first one of this family to settle in New
Hampshire was his great-grandfather, Elkanah
Lane, who came from Norton, Mass., aboat the
middle of the eighteenth century, purchased
land in Swanzey, became a farmer and was
a resident of the town and left numerous de-
scendants. He was a man of perseverance and
sterling honesty of purpose and thought.

His son Samuel inherited the farm of his

lather, married Scott and had five sons, —

Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Ezekiel and Luther, —
and one daughter, Lucy. He served in the
War of the Revolution, and although a man of
quiet and unassuming manners, was a sturdy
patriot and loyal citizen. He died about 1835,
aged eighty-four years.

Ezekiel, his fourth son, was born in
Swanzey in 1790. He settled on a farm ad-
joining the ancestral homestead and was a
life-long resident of the town. He was a kind
husband, good citizen, and, like his father, a
man of retiring disposition. He married, early
in life, Rachel, daughter of Farnum and Rachel
(Thayer) Fish. (Farnum Fish was a native of
Massachusetts, but for many years a citizen of
Swanzey. He was an energetic farmer and
man of note, and one of the controlling spirits
of the town, and with commendable public
spirit endeavored to advance its interests. He
received the highest respect from his fellow-
townsmen, who elected him to various town
offices. He held the commission of justice
of the peace for many years and was a
captain of militia. He accumulated consider-
able property, consisting of real estate. He
died about 1829.) Of the ten children of Eze-
kiel and Rachel (Fish) Lane, eight are now-
living.

Farnum Fish Lane commenced life without any

ofthe adventitious aids that arc usually supposed
to assist in gaining distinction. A farmer's boy,
his early years, until he reached the age of six-
teen, were passed on the firm assisting in the
work. Then his aspirations for an education
could no longer be restrained, and, leaving
home, he engaged as a farm laborer and com-
menced working and saving for that object.
After attending various academics, principally
at Xew Ipswich and Hancock, he taught School
for six winters, and, thinking, with Sydney
Smith, that "the law is decidedly the best pro-
fession for a young man if he has anything in
him," he entered the office of Thomas M. Ed-
wards, of Keene, a.- a law student. He ap-
plied himself with diligence and assiduity to the
study of his chosen profession, and, in July,
1843, was admitted to the bar, and since that
time has been actively employed in the labors of
the law.

He commenced practice in Winchester, and,
in 1846, moved to Walpole and was there for
three years. In 1849 he became a resident of
Keene, and has advanced agreeably and pros-
perously. He is a membei- of Social Friends
L«>dge, F. ami A. M., and of Cheshire Royal
Arch Chapter of Keene;

Mr. Lane married, October 30, 1846, Harriet
Locke, daughter of John and Harriet (Locke)
Butler, of Winchester. Their children are
Helen L., who married Augustus Lucke, of
Sherbrooke, Canada, and Emily I>.

Mr. Lane was a Whig until the organization
of the Republican party, with which he has
ever since acted, but never as a mere partisan,
or a politician using politics for personal ends.
The law has been his sole profession. He has
never sought a public office, and yet he has
been rewarded with the fullest trust and confi-
dence ofthe people. For ten years he held the
office of county solicitor, and was also county
treasurer. He was elected to the Legislature
from Walpole in 1*47 and 1848, and then
again from Keene in 1862 and 1863, that criti-
cal period in the country's history when the
war-clouds darkened the horizon and Legislative
responsibilities were heavy. He is probably
best known as a sound and wise counselor, one
who labors diligently on his cases, making the

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

most complete and exhaustive research before
attempting to present his ease or give an opinion.
As an advocate, he uses nothing like splendid
action or boisterous demonstration, but, what is
offer more account, clear, potent, sober thought,
carrying conviction to the mind that can or
cares to think There comes with what he says
the feeling always of an earnest, candid man,
saying nothing for mere effect, and only what
the case justly warrants. By reason of this gen-
eral confidence, inspired bv manner and method,
he is always a powerful antagonist, who has the
car and confidence of both judge and jury. Al
though, as before mentioned, the oldest member
of the Cheshire County bar, he is still in full
practice, with more vigorous health than he has
enjoyed for* years.

Francis A. Faulkner. — The Faulkner
family occupies quite an historic place in New
England annals. "Mr. Edmond Faulkner, the
emigrant, was one of the purchasers and first
settlers of Andover, Mass., which was bought
from the Indians about January, 1646, for £6,
and a coat." The following extract from the
will of Francis Fauconec, Gent., of King's
Cleave, Southampton, England, made September
1, 1662, and proved 21st May, 1663, connects
him beyond doubt with this honorable English
family. " Item : I give and bequeath to my
bn itlitr, Edmund Fauconor, that is living in New
England, £200 of lawful money of England."
This family is entitled to bear arms as follows :
"Arms — Sable, three falcons argent, beaked,
legged and belled or Crest — A garb or (or gules),
banded, argent. The name Faulkner was va-
riously spelled in those days, and in this will it
has as many spellings as the word occurs times.

The " Mr." was of significance as a title of
respect, and showed the possessor to be of an
English tamily of consequence. But three or
four in Andover were entitled to bear it.
Edmond Faulkner was married by John Win
throp to Dorothy Robinson, February 4, 1647,
at Salem. This was the firs! marriage recorded
of an Andover citizen. lie was a man of edu-
cation, energy and distinction, and connected
closely and prominently with all public affairs.
He was one of the ten freeholders who founded
the church in Andover in 1645. He kept the

first inn, which was burned in 1(576 by the In-
dians, and died January 18, 1686-87. His son
Francis, "husbandman," named doubtless from
the maker of the King's Cleave will, born 1657,
died 1732; married, October 11, 1675, Abigail,
daughter of Rev. Francis Dane, who was min-
ister of Andover for nearly half a century. Her
name is prominent in connection with the witch-
craft delusion. She was accused of "The felony
of witchcraft," found guilty and condemned to
death, but through the efforts of her many
powerful friends was not executed, although for
more than eleven years the sentence of death
hung over her. She stands out one of the
brightest and strongest figures on that dark page
of history. [See for full account "Bailey's His-
torical Sketches of Andover, Mass." This
worthy and sorely-tried couple left three sons,
Edmund, Ammivcrhammah and Paul, of whom
the second removed to Acton, Mass., in 1735,
erected mills, and became a manufacturer, dying
August 4, 1756. His son, Francis, born in
Andover September 20, 1728, died in Acton,
Mass., August 5, 1805. For thirty-five years
town clerk of Acton, member of the Provincial
Congress of 1774, a member of the Committee
of Safety, and several important conventions of
the Revolution, in all these positions he proved
himself a man of sound judgment and culti-
vated mind, and an able legislator. He held a
military commission under George III., but be-
came an ardent patriot, and one of the foremost
opposers of the oppressive acts of Great Britain.
Early in 1775 he was elected major of a regi-
ment organized to oppose English invasion. At
sunrise of the ever memorable L9th of April,
he marched with a considerable number of
men to resist the British troops then on their
way to Concord. He participated in that
historic engagement, and the pursuit of the
British to ( lharleston. [See Shattuck's "History
of Concord."] He was lieutenant-colonel of
the Middlesex militia, which reinforced the Con-
tinental army at i\n- occupation of Dorchester
Heights, March, 1776, and commanded the
regiment which guarded the prisoners of Bur-
goyne's surrender on the march to Cambridge.
By his second wife, Rebecca, daughter of Cap-
tain Kies, of Brookfield, a participant in that

Eko*

>-#*byjLH.Tr

(f.J$. cFu^^<2^c^

BENCH AND BAR.

bloody engagement known as Lo veil's fight,
he had eleven children, the oldest of whom
was Francis, of Billerica, one of the pioneer
woolen manufacturers in New England. He
was born January 31, 1760, died February 12,
1843. He was twice married and had twelve
children. By his first wife, Elizabeth Jones,
were Charles, born September 6, 1785, died in
Calcutta, August, 1809, and Francis, who was
born at Watertown, Mass., February 29, 1788,
came to Keene in 1809 or 1810. June 10, 1818,
he married Eliza, daughter of Eli Stearns, of
Lancaster, Mass. He died November 29, 1842.
His wife died October 5, 1869. Their children
who lived to maturity were Charles S., born
May 17, 1819, died July 28, 1879; Elizabeth
J., born May 25, 1822; Francis A.; William
F., born July 7, 1831, died May 1, 1874.
Francis Faulkner was one of the early manu-
facturers of New Hampshire, in which business
he continued until his death, in 1842. He was
a man of sterling integrity, generous and wise in
public matters, as in private. He was loved and
respected by all; an ardent supporter of the
Unitarian Society, of which he was one of the
ii mnders.

Hon. Francis Augustus Faulkner, son
of Francis and Eliza (Stearns) Faulkner, was
lx»rn in Keene, N. H., February 12, 1825. As
a youth he was studious, and, in 1841, went to
that celebrated preparatory school, Phillips Ex-
eter Academy, where he acquitted himself with
ability and was fitted for college. He graduated
with honor at Harvard University in the class
of 1846, which numbers among its members
such distinguished names as Hon. George F.
Hoar, Prof. Francis J. Child,' Prof. George
M. Lane, Dr. Calvin Ellis and Henry A.
Whitney. The friendships and associations
thus formed were among the warmest and
highest of his life, and his love for the classics and
general literature there acquired continued all
his days, and showed itself in his public and
private life. Choosing the law for his profession,
he began its study in 1847 in the office of Hon.
Phinehas Handerson, of Keene, and, in connec-
tion therewith, attended the Harvard Law
School. He was admitted to practice at Keene,
at tiie September term of court in 1849, and

immediately formed a partnership with William
P. Wheeler, which firm, as Wheeler & Faulkner,
first appeared upon the docket at the May term,
1850, and from that time for nearly thirty years
enjoyed a remarkably extensive and successful
practice, and was engaged in nearly every case
of prominence or importance tried in Cheshire
County. To the honorable and leading position
taken by the firm much was due to Mr.
Faulkner.

During his active practice Mr. Faulkner ac-
complished an amount of work which excited the
wonder and admiration of the court and his asso-
ciates at the bar. To a finely-organized brain
was united robust, health and untiring industry,
and an ardent love for his profession. These,
with his correct and methodical habits, made
labor almost a pleasure, which success only in-
creased, while defeat did not diminish it. Durinir
the life of Mr. Wheeler the unassuming: nature
of Mr. Faulkner, acknowledging the high
ability of his partner as an advocate (and he
was rarely, if ever, excelled in this county),
preferred to take the more laborious, but unpre-
tending, work of preparing their causes, both for
trial of facts and on questions of law, and of
drawing all pleadings and formal papers, leaving
Mr. Wheeler to present them to the court. He
was always thoroughly prepared in season for
every cause in which they were engaged,
whether before the jury or the court, and his
patient research, accurate knowledge and pains-
taking care made his papers and briefs models
of skill and learning, and of great weight with
the court.

When circumstances caused him to appear as
an advocate, it was at once seen that he had far
more than ordinary power in that capacity.
Always dignified and courteous, he depended
upon fairness and ability to win his causes, never
resorting to anything like a trick. He displayed
a peculiar power of sifting evidence and dis-
closing the truth, and knew where his strength
lay and how to use it.

His memory was retentive, his knowledge of
human nature quick and accurate, and in his
judgment of the character of a client or witness
he was seldom at fault. His arguments to court
or jury were concise and vigorous, abounding in

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

apt illustrations and citations, expressed in
earnest, simple language, but conveying a logic
which was convincing. When once engaged in
a case he made his client's cause his own and
served him with rare fidelity to the end. As an
advisor he was careful in forming his legal
opinion, often giving to a question time and
critical study entirely out of proportion to its
pecuniary importance; but when his opinion
was formed he firmly adhered to it, and was
rarely obliged to modify it. His temperament
and cast of mind were pre-eminently judicial,
and it' he had found it compatible with his
wishes to have accepted the position on the
bench of the Supreme Court, to which he was
appointed, and again solicited to take, his in-
timate knowledge of all matters of practice and
procedure would have been found of great use
and his decisions have been a valuable addition
to the legal literature of the State.

Mr. Faulkner represented Keene in the State
Legislature in 1851, 1852, 1859 and I860; was
chosen moderator twenty-two times, successively,
in town-meeting, from 1857 to 1863, and was
an alderman in the first city government; was
county solicitor from 1855 to 1800; commissioner
of enrollment during the Rebellion; was ap-
pointed associate justice of the Supreme Court
in 1874, but declined to serve; was a member
of the Constitutional Convention of 1 87(5, and
held various other positions of honor and trust.

He was largely interested in the social busi-
ness ami financial life of Keene; was a director
of the Cheshire National Bank and the Ashuelot
National Bank, and succeeded Mr. Wheeler as
president of the Cheshire Provident Institution.
1 1 ighly valued asa financial advisor, many sought
ami were profited by his judicious counsel.

In politics he was a stanch Republican, one
of the strongest local leaders of that party, and
a prominent member of the State and County
( lommittees. His upright character, strong per-
sonality, positive convictions and popularity
gave him influence in all circles, and there was
no one whose counsel was more sought in emer-
gencies and whose judgment and foresight did
better service in seasonably detecting threatened
evils and in devising the best means for the
general good. During the years of anxiety and

sacrifice of the great Civil War he labored loy-
ally for the cause of the Union, and, by his un-
tiring enthusiasm, able counsel and personal ef-
forts, did much more for the cause than he
could have done in any other way.

In religion he was a Unitarian and an active
member of the society at Keene, whose liberality
in all channels of religious influence was never
found wanting.

Mr. Faulkner married, December 18, 1849,
Caroline, daughter of Hon. Phinehas Handerson.
He was very happy in his domestic life, and
those who did not see him in his home can
hardly be said to have really known him. It
was there that he threw off the burdens and per-
plexities of his busy life and found the only re-
laxation he ever allowed himself — in the society
of his wife and children.

They lovingly remember how his natural
buoyancy and love of fun, repressed by hours of
exacting business, at home showed itself in play-
ful jokes and in humorous anecdotes, and in join-
ing, with the spirit of a boy, in all the games
and sports of the children.

His house was always open and he enter-
tained with a generous hospitality. His wide
circle of friends and acquaintances brought many
distinguished people as his guests, and Mrs.
Faulkner, a lady of culture, who survives him,
presided with a quiet dignity over his household
and made the charm of the home circle com-
plete. Their surviving children arc Francis
( liild, Arthur and Charles Henry. Mr. Faulk-
ner died at his residence in Keene May 22, 187l>.

The following preamble and resolutions were
adopted by the Cheshire County bar as a tribute
to his memory :

" In the course of Divine Providence, a most useful
and honorable member of our profession, Mr. Francis
A. Faulkner, has been taken from us by death. The
occasion is sucli as excites in us much and deep feel-
ing, which it is natural and right should find some
appropriate expression, and, therefore, according to
the usage which has long prevailed, the bar gives ex-
pression to such feelings by the following resolutions:

"1. That in the death of Mr. Faulkner the profes-
sion has been deprived of one of its ablest and most
useful members, whose learning and ability, inspired
and guided by the truest integrity, have singularly
illustrated and adorned the bar of the State and coun-
try. His modest and unassuming manners have bad

i^tsC- <-^

t^tyi/l

BENCH AND BAR.

no small influence in cultivating the professional
amenities and courtesies, which add so much to the
pleasure of professional life, and redeem it from the
opprobrium which in other times and places has been
brought upon it by the unrestrained excesses of pro-
fessional zeal.

''2. That we tender to the family of Mr. Faulkner
our most respectful and earnest sympathy."

Lieut-Col. William Hexry Burt, son
of Willard and Martha (Wood) Burt, was born
in Westmoreland, N. H., May 24, 1824. He
was descended from New England families of
honor and respectability. His paternal line of
descent is derived from James Burt, who sailed
from London, England, to the Barbadoes in
1(335, and from there to Newport, R. I. (1639),
afterwards to Taunton, Mass., where he was
surveyor of highways in 1645, and took the
oath of fidelity in 1654. His will was proven
March 2, 1681. The line to Colonel William
H. is James (1), James (2), Thomas (3), Henry
(4), Samuel (5), Willard (6), William H. (7).
On the maternal side he derived from the Wood
family, well known in the Plymouth colony,
and through his maternal grandmother, Martha
(White) Wood, he was connected with one of
the White families so prominent in New Eng-
land history. Family tradition gives him as a
lineal descendant of Peregrine White, of May-
flower fame, but the stern realities of record
seem to deny this, and to show his real White pro-
genitor to be one who, in point of worth, character
and position, stood even higher, — John White,
the wealthiest pioneer and proprietor of Lan-
caster, Mass., an Englishman of education, who
was in Salem in 1639. " His "descendants
have almost universally held a respectable po-
sition in society and in the church. Some have
risen to distinction in military and civil life." 1
The line of descent is most probably John (1),
one of the first planters, captain, etc. ; Josiah
(2), selectman, deacon, captain, etc. ; Josiah (3),
representative, selectman, moderator and dea-
con ; Jotham (4), probably the Major Jotham
White mentioned in " History of Charlestown,
N. H.," as quartermaster in Revolutionary
War ; Martha (5), married Jonathan Wood, of
Westmoreland, formerly of Fitchburg, Mass.,

1 History of Lancaster.

1785 ; Martha (Wood) Burt (6) ; William
H.(7).

Colonel Burt inherited a strong vitality from
his ancestors, who, for several generations, were
quiet agriculturists. [His grandfather, Samuel
Burt, married Olive Lincoln, in Taunton,
Mass., in 1787 (she was descended from two
leading families of that place, Lincoln and
Leonard), and settled in Westmoreland, N. H.,
as a pioneer, accompanied by a brother and a
sister. These all attained great ages, Samuel
dying in 1850, almost ninety, and Olive in
1843, in her eighty-third year.]

William passed his early years with his
parents, who lived with his grandparents on the
old homestead. He had the privileges of the
district schools of those days, which, for the re-
sult attained in self-reliance, mental discipline
and strength of thought, have had few equals,
and, attended as they were by scholars ambi-
tious to excel, instructed by capable teachers,
and aided by the healthful discipline and at-
mosphere of home-life, brought forth good
fruit. His brother and sisters rauked high as
scholars, and the children were stimulated by
their mother's influence to improve all oppor-
tunities for intellectual culture. She, a woman
of rare intelligence and ability, especially de-
sired her sons to be liberally educated, and
labored untiringly to guide and direct them in
the paths of knowledge and virtue. Her warm
sympathy and influence encouraged their aspira-
tions for higher education, and her impress was
beneficial in no common measure to her chil-
dren.

When he was nineteen, William began teach-
ing winter terms of schools, and also became
interested in the study of phrenology and phys-
iology, and qualified himself to lecture in the
smaller places adjacent to his home, and Mas
quite successful. He carved, from a rough
piece of sandstone, with his jack-knife, a speci-
men head, which was creditable alike to his ar-
tistic skill and his understanding of phrenology.
He cherished a hope that he might fit himself
for a professional life, and attended three terms
at Mount Csesar Academy, at Swanzey, N. H.,
after he was twenty-one, engaging in the in-
terim in farm labor and as a daguerrean artist.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

His ardor for professional honors was lessened,
however, by the experience of his older brother,
Charles, who found his way as a law-student
steep and difficult. The frugal life of the home
circle did not avail to eke out the slender re-
sources of the farm sufficiently to pay the ex-
penses of college-life. When twenty-two, Wil-
liam, after carefully considering which of the
two courses he should choose, — a college educa-
tion, which would leave him heavily in debt, or
a mechanical pursuit, which would give him
personal independence, — reluctantly decided for
the latter, at once went to Worcester, Mass., ap-
prenticed himself to a carpenter and worked
at house-carpentering and in a car-shop until
1850. In the meantime, October, 1848, he
married Hannah L. Williams, of Amherst,
Mass., who died in 1852.

Anticipating greater opportunities in the new
land of California, Mr. Burt, with money
loaned by friends who had learned the honesty
and firmness of his character, sailed from New
York, April 1, 1850, for San Francisco. Here
he had varying changes, ill health, and, finally,
good business success. After the death of two
of his sisters, — Mrs. Martha M. Goodnow, Feb-
ruary 3, 1852, and Mrs. J. Elizabeth Beals,
August 10, 1852, — Mr. Burt decided to return
to New Hampshire, study law and be near his
grief-stricken parents. He had, through his
industry and prudence, acquired sufficient prop-
erty to admit of his doing this, and, in Septem-
ber, 1852, he came to Keene. Receiving kind
encouragements from the lawyers whom he con-
sulted, he became a student of Hon. Levi
( Chamberlain, a leading member of the bar, and
passed a creditable examination in April, 1854.
California offering more favorable opportunities
for advancement, he sailed thither again in
May, 1 85 1. Here he enjoyed the advantages
of the extensive practice of the Hon. James
Wilson, in whose office, at San Francisco, he
was domiciled, and was admitted to practice as
attorney and counselor-at-law February 9,
1855.

He returned East, after a year and a half, by
the Nicaragua route. On the Isthmus an epi-
sode occurred which shows the character and
self-reliance of Mr. Burt, and the impression he

made upon others. The Nicaraguans deemed
the disembarking and unarmed passengers a
band of Walker's filibusters, and attacked
them fiercely. Eight persons were killed, sev-
eral were wounded. Mr. Burt received bullet-
holes in his clothing, but no wounds. At their
request, he at once assumed the leadership of
the passengers, and, by his efforts, imposing
appearance and persistent exertions, succeeded
in getting the company to the Atlantic without
further molestation.

On his arrival in Keene he married Ann
Louisa Davis, of Dublin, November 8, 1855,
and passed the winter with his parents, who
had removed there from Westmoreland in
1854.

He was admitted to practice at the Novem-
ber term of the Supreme Court, in Keene, 1855.

The wonderful tide of emigration to the West
interested him, and before returning to the
Pacific coast he concluded to enjoy a pleasure-
trip with his wife in the Western States. Leav-
ing Keene, April 19, 1856, they visited his
brother in Detroit, and from there went to Dav-
enport, Iowa, visiting old friends along the
way. In June they started up the Mississippi
and stopped at various points, arriving at last
at Stillwater, Minn., where resided a brother
law-student. This was a pleasant summer resi-
dence, and, to oblige his friend, who was called
away for a brief period, he consented to attend
to his practice until his return. The absence
was prolonged by illness, and Mr. Burt became
so much connected with the business as to be
unable to leave, and continued in a steadily in-
creasing and valuable practice until the break-
ing out of the great Civil War. He was ad-
mitted as counselor-of-law and solicitor in
Chancery at St. Paul, Minn., January 13, 1857.
He was a member of the State Legislature of
Minnesota in 1862; served on committees —
Federal relations, military affairs — and was
chairman of the judiciary committee.

From the time that Fort Sumter was at-
tacked Mr. Burt believed that his duty lay in
joining the defenders of the Union, but val-
uable interests were in his keeping, and he
could not desert his clients. He, however, took
no new cases unless the stipulation was made

BENCH AND BAR.

that lie could give them up at any time. Un-
der the call for six hundred thousand men,
August 6, 1862, Governor Ramsey divided
Minnesota into districts and appointed recruit-
ing officers. One of his commissions named
William H. Burt as recruiting officer for the
farming districts of Washington and Chisago
Counties, with rank of second lieutenant. This
was accompanied by orders to enlist a company
for the Seventh Minnesota. Mr. Burt was
on his way to dinner, August 7, 1862, when he
received the notice of the appointment. He
did not return to his office, but assigned to his
wife the care of his papers and went at once to
duty. He was enrolled and mustered into ser-
vice at St. Paul August 8th, and August 9th
began to form his company. He enlisted a full
company — ninety-eight men — and reported for
duty at Fort Snelling August 17th. His com-
pany elected him captain August 19, and he
was commissioned August 21, 1862. His was
appointed color company (C), and ordered into
immediate service.

The defenseless condition of the frontier in
consequence of the removal of all regular sol-
diers and movable armament, and the departure
of the five regiments of volunteers, exposed the
State to the horrors of Indian warfare. A con-
spiracy of Indian tribes, led by the war-chief
of the Dakotahs, Little Crow, inaugurated
the " Minnesota Massacre." Prompt and de-
cided action was required to suppress it. The
new recruits, inexperienced and poorly equipped,
were called upon to protect the State. August
26th, Captain Burt was ordered to march with
Companies C and I to Fort Ripley. From
there his company was ordered to Chippewa
Agency to guard the government stores and
show the Chippewas the futility of any at-
tempt at rebellion. A " council of peace " with
this tribe was soon held at Fort Ripley, Cap-
tain Burt being chosen one of the members by
the Governor, and by its action peaceful rela-
tions were continued with the tribe. In this
Captain Burt rendered good service. A special
session of the Legislature was called to consider
the condition of affairs, and Captain Burt was
particularly requested by the Governor to attend
as a member, and by special order he was

placed on detached service for that purpose
and to secure the needed clothing for the poorly-
clad members of his company, who had hur-
riedly left their homes in summer dress, ex-
pecting, after receiving a good military outfit,
to enjoy a short furlough. The Legislature
closed its session, the military clothing was
promised ; two days were taken for his person-
al matters, in which time his books, papers
and business were transferred to agents, his
office vacated, and he was on his way to rejoin
his company. His life hereafter was to be
given to his country in hard and exhausting
service, which finally sapped the strong vigor
of his stalwart manhood and caused his untime-
ly death.

The Seventh Minnesota was assigned to
duty as guard of the Sioux prisoners at Man-
kato, where Captain's Burt's detachment joined
them, and, November, 24, 1862, his company
was mustered into the United States service. The
military commission convened sentenced three
hundred of the captives to close confinement
and thirty-nine to death. Thirty-eight of
these brutal murderers were simultaneously ex-
ecuted by hanging, December 26, 1862. Cap-
tain Burt, as officer of the day, received great
credit for his services in carrying out this im-
portant order. After guarding the three hun-
dred prisoners until spring, Captain Burt, with
his company, was detailed as military escort to
convey the Sioux to Rock Island, which was
successfully done. He also took part in the
campaign of the summer of 1863 against the
hostile Indians and captured Wo-wi-nap-a, the
son of Little Crow. This expedition drove the
scattered hostiles beyond the Missouri, and the
troops reported at Fort Snelling September 16,
1863.

The Seventh was now ordered to St. Louis,
where it served until April 20, 1864, Captain Burt
being commissioned major November 6, 1863.
He was detailed as a member of a general court-
martial to be convened April 14, 1864 ; but
as his regiment was ordered South, he pre-
ferred to go with it. The first station was
Paducah, Ky., which place they guarded till
June 19th, when they were ordered to Mem-
phis, and assigned to the Third Brigade, First

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, under Gene-
ral A. J. Smith. From this time the service
was hard, exhausting marching, coupled with
deprivations and splendid fighting. In the
desperate three days' battle of Tupelo, Miss.,
July 12th, 13th and 14th, the regiment won
high honors ; at the Tallahatchie, August 7th
and 8th, again gained praise. In September
the First Division made one of the hardest
inarches of the war, in pursuit of General
Trice, through Arkansas and Missouri, — three
hundred and twenty miles in nineteen days on
ten days' rations. Another march eusucd across
the entire State of Missouri, the troops wading
through mud and snow, and fording icy rivers.
The corps participated in the great battle at
Nashville, December loth and 16th, and after-
wards joined in the pursuit of Hood through
Tennessee. They then went to Clifton, Tenn.,
next to Eastport, Miss., then to New Orleans,
and in March, 18(55, to Dauphin Island, where
the army was reorganized for the siege of Mo-
bile.

March 20, 1865, the corps was landed on the
east side of Mobile Bay, and on the 25th
marched to invest Spanish Fort, the principal
eastern defense of Mobile. This fort was in-
vested March 27th, and reduced April 8th. The
Seventh was constantly under fire, and bore the
greaterpart of the labor and exposure of the siege.
After the surrender of Fort Blakely, April
9th, Mobile was occupied by the Union army.
The Sixteenth Corps broke camp for a march to
Montgomery, April 13th. From there the
Third Brigade went to Selma, Ala., where the
Seventh did garrison duty until it was ordered
North to be mustered out of service, and left
Selma July 20th, and marched to Yieksburg.
From there Major Burt was sent in advance
of the regiment, first to St. Louis, then to Fort
Snelling, Minn., to prepare muster-out rolls,
and thus expedite the discharge of the men.
The troops were discharged August 16,1865,
at Fort Snelling.

Originally possessed of a strong constitution,
the exposure of army life exhausted Major
Burt's vitality, and although the surgeons rec-
ommended a " sick leave " as absolutely essen-
tial to recuperate his strength, it was not

granted by the corps commander, as such an
efficient officer could not be spared. To him
the muster out came too late. He returned to
Kcene ; but health never returned, and while on
a visit to his only surviving sister (Mrs. Shar-
lot A. West), at Worcester, Mass., he died,
March 15, 1866. He was commissioned
brevet lieutenant-colonel United States volun-
teers by President Johnson, March 20, 1866,
the rank to date from April 8, 1865, " for gal-
lant and meritorious services at the siege of
Spanish Fort, Mobile Harbor, Alabama."

Colonel Burt was a superior man. His ideal
of life and its duties was high. He felt a sense
of obligation to make the best use of all his
faculties, and amid all discouraging circum-
stances he preserved unweakened his integrity
and independence. The structure of his char-
acter was systematic, solid and substantial, and
his manhood was firmly and compactly put to-
gether. He had a tenacity of purpose that,
with his positive nature, carried him to suc-
cess where weaker men would have failed. 1 lis
religious nature developed as a principle of
right and duty, making him conscientiously
honest and honorable in all the relations of
life. Irreproachable in character, he scorned
everything low and groveling, stood on the
highest plane of temperance and purity, and
won the enduring esteem of his associates. He
was a devoted son, a strong friend and a valu-
able member of society.

The following estimates, from those well
qualified to judge, will show his proper stand-
ing as a man, soldier and lawyer.

Governor Marshall, who served as lieutenant-
colonel and colonel of the Seventh, and general
of his brigade, wrote to Colonel Burt from the
executive chair of Minnesota, December 29,
1865, — "I am glad this long-delayed commis-
sion (lieutenant-colonel) has been issued. You
well earned such recognition of faithful ser-
vice."

From an article in the St. Paul Press, writ-
ten by a prominent gentleman of Minnesota, we
make this extract, — " He loved the profession
of his choice and applied himself to its study
with a zeal and intensity rarely excelled. His
ability and industry soon secured lor him an

BENCH AND BAR.

extensive practice and a position at the head of
the bar at which lie practiced, and he was
retained on one side or other of almost all
causes of importance. Owing to the character
of the business of the St. Croix Valley and the
financial crisis of 1857-58, the litigation was
extensive and of a most important character.
This brought him in contact with the best legal
minds of the State, and as wrell at nisi prius as
at the bar of the Supreme Court he was re-
garded as among the best lawyers of the State.
He was true to his client, and identified him-
self, even to a fault, perhaps, with the cause he
advocated. He was a man of exemplary habits
and strict integrity. He was very reticent and
his manners were somewhat abrupt, but a little
familiarity with him discovered behind this ex-
terior a heart alive to the kindliest sympathies
of our nature. Lieutenant-Colonel Burt served
three years as an officer of the Seventh Min-
nesota Volunteers, — first as captain of Com-
pany C, and during the last two years as major
of the regiment. His record as an officer was
a most honorable one. Indeed, his life was
sacrificed to his determination to remain on
duty with his regiment until it should be mus-
tered out. He never asked for a leave of ab-
sence. He was at the post of duty always.
At the battle of Tupelo, Miss., July, 1864 ; at
the Tallahatchie, in August ; in the campaign
in Arkansas and Missouri after Price's army,
in the fall of 1864; at the battles of Nashville,
in December, where he conducted with distin-
guished gallantry the skirmish line of his
brigade; at the siege of Spanish, Fort, in the
Mobile campaign, in March and April, 1865,
he performed the whole duty of a soldier and an
officer. For these services he was recommended
by General Marshall and honorably promoted
by commission from the President as brevet
Lieutenant-colonel United States Volunteers."

The eminent jurist, Judge S. J. R. McMil-
lan, writes, March 26, 1866, in a letter to Mrs.
Burt, — "The relations of your husband and
myself during a period of seven or eight years
brought us much in contact, and afforded me
ample opportunity of estimating his character.
During all my acquaintance with him I have
ever had for him the highest regard and re-

spect. He was a man of strict integrity and
uprightness in his private and professional rela-
tions, and as a lawyer I regard him as one of
the ablest in the State. His professional ability
secured him a retainer in almost all the impor-
tant causes in the court at the bar of which he
practiced, and brought him in contact with the
leading lawyers of the State, and placed him
in circumstances calculated to try every ele-
ment of his character, and through all he bore
himself manfully, and acquitted himself with
great credit. Fraud, dishonesty and chicanery
he abhorred, and when presented in the course
of his professional duty, he pursued it unre-
mittingly. He was prompt and punctual in
everything he had to do, and I do not remember
an instance where a cause in which he was en-
gaged, wTas called for trial, that he was unpre-
pared through any laches of his own. You
may well cherish his memory with pride."

Charles W. Burt, oldest son of Willard
and Martha (Wood) Burt, and only brother of
Lieutenant-Colonel William H. Burt, was born
in Westmoreland, N. H., November 6, 1820.
He attended, supplementary to his course at
district schools, Mount Caesar and Lebanon
Academies, and two years at Norwich (Vt.)
University. He was a thorough student,
stood high in his classes, and was a popular
teacher of district schools for some years. He
studied law with Hon. Levi Chamberlain,
was admitted to the bar at Keene, and prac-
tised his profession at Colebrook, N. H., from
1848 to 1854, when he removed to Detroit,
Mich., and engaged in practice. In 1855 he
formed a partnership with A. B. Maynard,
Esq., of that city, which continued until the
untimely death of Mr. Burt, April 11, 1859.
Mr. Maynard says of him, — "During our en-
tire partnership our relations were of the plcas-
antest character. He was a gentleman of
decided ability, and no young lawyer in the
city had a better reputation, both for legal
learning and ability and for the purity and
uprightness of his character. In his habits he
was simple and unassuming, and remarkable
for his industry. Had his life been spared,
he would, in my judgment, have stood at the
very head of the bar of Michigan as a learned,

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

able and conscientious lawyer." From the re-
port of a meeting of the Detroit bar we ex-
tract,— "Leading lawyers paid brief, but feel-
ing and earnest, tributes of respect to the
personal worth of* Mr. Burt, and of regard for
his high personal character. They spoke of
him as they knew him, — as the modest, retiring,
yet self-reliant man ; as an earnest seeker after
truth and justice at all times; as the determined
hater of what was vicious and wrong ; as the
warm-hearted, sympathetic man and friend,
making sacrifices (when he hoped to accom-
plish good) which few would have done, and
that' few knew of; as the untiring, indefatigable
student, the lawyer of sound judgment, exten-
sive research and of growing, solid reputation.
These tributes paid to one who had not reached
life's mid-space were as sincere, hearty and
flattering expressions of opinion as have ever
been paid, within our knowledge, to a young
member of the Detroit bar, and, coming from
the senior members of the profession, attest the
professional worth and great promise of Mr.
Burt."

Among other members of the bar are men-
tioned J. Henry Elliot, George A. Wheelock,
( '. ( '. Webster, Edward Farrar (clerk of courts,
police justice and ex-mayor), F. S. Fiskc, Har-
vey Carleton, Don H.Woodward, Horatio Col-
ony (ex-mayor), Silas Hardy (ex-judge of Pro-
bate), C. F. Webster, George Ticknor, Hiram
Blake, L. W. Holmes, E. P. Dole, Francis C.
Faulkner, Daniel K. Healey, Alfred T. Batch-
elder (mayor), C. H. Hersey and J. P. Abbott.

(For additional notices, see town histories).

The present members of the Cheshire bar are
as follow- :

Edward Farrar (clerk of court), of Keene; John T.
Abbott (Hersey & Abbott), of Keene ; Alfred T. Batch-
cider ( Batchelder & Faulkner), of Keene; Hiram
I Make, of Keene; Edmund P. Dole (Lane & Dole,
also county solicitor), of Keene; William Henry El-
liot, of Keene; Francis C. Faulkner (Batchelder &
Faulkner), of Keene; Silas Hardy, of Keene; Daniel
K. Healey, of Keene; Farnum F. Lane (Lane &
Dole), of Keene; C. Fred. Webster, of Keene; Leon-
ard Wellington, of Keene; Don H.Woodward, of
Kiime; Hosea W. Brigham, of Winchester ; Edmund
M. Forbes, of Winchester; E.J. Temple, of Hinsdale;
.1 1 isiah G. Bellows (also judge of Probate), of Walpole ;
Bolivar Lovell, of Walpole; E. M. Smith, of Alstead;

Amos J. Blake, of Fitzwilliam ; Jesse B. Twiss, o
JalFrey.

Retired Members of the Cheshire County Bar.

George A. Wheelock, of Keene; John Henry El-
liot, of Keene; Horatio Colony, of Keene; Harvey
Carlton, of Winchester ; John H. Fox, of JaU'rey.

CHAPTER III.

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

11 Y HIRAM BLAKE.

Cheshire Railroad. — No ■vent in the
history of Cheshire County has resulted in such
substantial benefit to its inhabitants as the
construction of the Cheshire Railroad.

From 1830 to 1840 the manufacturing: in-
terests of the county had largely increased.
Woolen and cotton-mills had been erected on
many of the numerous streams within the
county, affording excellent water-power.

Considerable forests of excellent timber yet
remained ready to be converted into lumber.
Various kinds of wooden-ware were manu-
factured, and ready markets for these commod-
ities were found in Boston and other towns on
the New England seaboard.

The difficulty of transporting heavy freight
by the slow process of horse-power was a serious
drawback to these enterprises, and the want of
railroad communication within the county began
to be seriously felt.

As early as 1840 the subject of a railroad
through the country began to be earnestly dis-
cussed.

A charter for the Cheshire Railroad, extend-
ing from the State line between Massachusetts
and .Yew Hampshire to Bellows Falls, Yt.,
was obtained December 27, Is II. On
.July 1, 1845, it was consolidated with the
Winehendon Railroad Company, chartered in
Massachusetts, March 1."), 1845, and extending
from South Ashburnham, Mass., to the Xew
Hampshire line. This consolidated line forms
the Cheshire corporation as it exists at the
present time.

The opening of the road was the occasion of
great rejoicing to the citizens of Keene and

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

Cheshire County. The event was celebrated in
Keene with great splendor May 16, 1848.

The day was unusually fine, and about five
thousand people, from different parts of the
county and vicinity, attended the celebration.

A train from Boston, consisting of fifteen
cars well filled with people, drawn by two pow-
erful engines, gaily decorated with flags, ever-
greens and flowers, arrived at half- past one p.m.

Its approach was announced, when four miles
from town, by the discharge of a gun two miles
distant. This was followed by others stationed
along the line, and as it entered the town it was
welcomed by the ringing of bells, the cheers of
thousands and the rapid discharge of cannon.

The Suffolk Brass Band, of Boston, accompa-
nied the train and furnished excellent music for
the occasion.

A large procession proceeded to the town hall,
where a meeting of the stockholders was held ;
after which the procession was reformed and
marched back to the depot, where fifteen hun-
dred people partook of a sumptuous banquet
prepared by the citizens of Keene.

After dinner Hon. Levi Chamberlain, in an
appropriate speech, welcomed the assemblage to
Keene. Hon. Thomas M. Edwards, president
of the corporation, followed ; after which
speeches were made and sentiments offered by
many eminent citizens of Boston and other
parts of New England. At the hour of de-
parture the train moved off on its way to Bos-
ton amid the cheers of the assembled multitude.

The remaining portion of the road, from
Keene to Bellows Falls, Vt., was completed
January 1, 1849.

The Cheshire Railroad is the connecting-link
between Boston (via Rutland) and Burlington.
It extends through the county from Winchen-
don, Mass., through the southwest corner of
Rindge, through Fitzwilliam, Troy, Marlbor-
ough, Keene, southwest corner of Surry, West-
moreland and Walpole, where it crosses the
Connecticut River at Bellows Falls, in Vermont.

The entire length of the road is fifty-three
and one-half miles. Within the county it is
forty-two and three-fourths miles. It is one
of the most thoroughly-constructed roads in
the country. Its bridges, culverts and abut-

ments, built of cut granite, are models of civil
engineering. The general management, from
the beginning, has been excellent, and its opera-
tion unusually free from accidents.

The cost of the road and equipments amounted
to $2,71 7,535.26. The annual receipts for 1884
were $586,685.02; the expenditures for the
same year, $463,575.79.

Four gentlemen have acted as presidents of
the road during its existence of thirty-seven
years, namely, Hon. T. M. Edwards, Thomas
Thatcher, E. Murdoch, Jr., and Hon. William
A. Russell.

Superintendents, B. F. Adams, L. Tilton, E.
A. Chapin and Reuben Stewart ; Treasurers,
C. J. Everett, F. W. Everett and F. H. Kings-
bury; Master Mechanics, David Upton, George
W. Perry and F. A. Perry.

Mr. Stewart, the present superintendent, is a
veteran in the service of the company. He
commenced his service for the road in 1845,
and was employed three years in its construc-
tion. He subsequently served as ticket agent,
general freight agent, cashier and auditor. He
was assistant superintendent for two years un-
der Mr. E. A. Chapin, and has held the office
of superintendent for the past twenty years.

Ashuelot Railroad. — Before the comple-
tion of the Cheshire Railroad measures for build-
ing a railroad through the fertile and populous
valley of the Ashuelot River were already taken.
The Ashuelot Railroad was incorporated July
10, 1846, and the first meeting for organization
under the charter was called at Winchester
May 27, 1848.

John H. Fuller, Esq., of Keene, was chosen
president; Francis Boyden, of Hinsdale, clerk.

In November, 1849, the company contracted
with Messrs. Boody, Ross & Co., of Spring-
field, Mass., for building the road, and the work
was speedily pushed to completion.

On the 9th of December, 1850, the road was
opened for public travel.

This road extends from Keene to South Ver-
non, Vt., a distance of twenty-three and three-
fourths miles. Its length in Cheshire Countv
is twenty-three miles.

As it leaves Keene it passes through Swan-
zey, Winchester and the southern part of Hins-

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

dale ; thence crossing the Connecticut River at
South Vernon, Vt. It follows the beautiful
valley of the Ashuelot River, which affords
abundant water-power, a considerable portion
of which is improved and a great variety of
manufactures is carried on. The road is of a
very light grade and one of the best-constructed
roads in New England.

In 1850 the company leased the road to the
Connecticut River Railroad for a term of ten
years, from January 1, 1851, at a rent of thirty
thousand dollars per year.

At the expiration of this lease it was leased
to the Cheshire Railroad until January, 1865, at
twelve thousand dollars per annum.

The road continued to be operated by the
Cheshire Company until April 21, 1877, when
it was again leased to the Connecticut River
Road at a rental of thirty per cent, of its gross
earnings, under which management it now re-
mains.

The cost of the road, with equipments, to
L875, amounted to five hundred thousand
dollars.

The receipts and expenditures are included in
the accounts of the Connecticut River road.

Si llivan Countv RAILROAD. — The Sulli-
van County Railroad, extending from Bellows
Falls, Vt., to Windsor, in the same State, a
distance of twenty-six miles, was incorporated
July 10, 1846, and completed February 5, 1840.

This road crosses the Connecticut River at
Bellows Falls, and, running mainly through
Sullivan County, N. H., represses the river at
Windsor.

Nearly two miles of this road run through
the northwest portion of Walpole, in Cheshire
County, where the growing village of North
Walpole is situated.

This road is operated by the Connecticut
River Railroad, and with the latter forms apart
of the Central Vermont system.

Concord and Claremont Railroad. —
The original charter for this road, extending
from Concord to the Sullivan Railroad, in or
near the town of ( Jlaremont, was obtained June
24, 1848.

The corporation, as it now exists, is a con-
solidation of the Contoocook Valley, Merri- $22,009.01

mack and Connecticut Rivers and Sugar River
Railroads.

The first-named branch extends from Hop-
kinton, through Plenniker, to Hillsborough
Bridge, a distance of fifteen miles. This road
was also chartered June 24, 184S, and com-
pleted in December, 1849.

The Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers por-
tion, constructed under the original charter,
extends from Concord, through Hopkinton,
Warner, the southern portion of Sutton, to
Bradford, a distance of twenty-seven miles. It
was completed July 10, 1850.

The Sugar River portion extends from Brad-
ford, through Newbury, in the county of Mer-
rimack, and through Sunapee and Newport, to
Claremont Junction, on the Sullivan Railroad,
a distance of twenty-nine miles. It was incor-
porated July 2, 1860, and completed for travel
in September, 1872.

The consolidation of the three branches above
mentioned was effected October 31, 1873, and
the entire length of the road is seventy-one
miles. Its length in Sulivan County is about
eighteen miles. It is now under the same man-
agement as the Northern Railroad.

Moxadxock Railroad. — The Monadnock
Railroad was incorporated December 13, 1848;
the charter was revived July (3, 1866. It was
completed for travel June 10, 1871, and ex-
tends from Winchendon, Mass., through Rindge
and Jatfrey, to Peterborough, a distance of fif-
teen and four-fifths miles. Its length in Che-
shire County is about ten miles.

Leaving Winchendon, it passes through a low-
valley between the hills in Rindge until it
reaches the head- waters of the Contoocook
River, near the village of West Rindge. It'
then follows down the valley of Contoocook to
East Jatfrey, and thence to Peterborough.

The Upper Contoocook furnishes consider-
able water-power. Cotton and wooden-ware
mills are located along its course in Rindge and
Jatfrey, and this road has been of great benefit
to these towns.

The cost of this road amounted to the sum
of $366,829. 17. The annual receipts for 1884
were $27,342.39; the expenditures for 1884,

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

J. Livingston, of Peterborough, was its first
president, and C. A. Parks, of Jaffrey, treas-
urer. After its completion it was operated by
the company until October 1, 1874, when it
was leased to the Boston, Barre and Gardiner
r< >ad for ninety-nine years.

The lease was transferred to the Cheshire
Railroad January 1, 1880, for six years, at a
rental of twelve thousand dollars per annum,
with the option of extending the same for fif-
teen years thereafter.

The road is still operated by the Cheshire
Company.

Manchester and Keene Railroad. —
This road was incorporated July 16, 1864 ; its
charter was extended June 24, 1870, and June
26, 1874.

It leaves Keene and runs easterly through
the southwest corner of Roxbury, through
Marlborough and Harrisville, to Hillsborough
( 'ounty line ; thence through Hancock to its
terminus, at Greenfield.

Its entire length is twenty-six miles ; its
length in Cheshire County is nearly thirteen
miles. The scenery along the route, for variety
and grandeur, is equal to any in the State.

The building of the road was commenced in
the summer of 1876, and after considerable
delay, occasioned by the failure of contractors, it
was completed on the 29th of November,
1878.

The last spike was driven by Hon. Samuel W.
Hale, one of the directors of the road.

On the following day an engine and well-
filled passenger-car passed over the road, and its
arrival in Keene was witnessed by a large num-
ber of spectators.

April 30, 1880, the Supreme Court, in be-
half of the bondholders, appointed George A.
Ramsdell, of Nashua, receiver, who repaired
and commenced running the road.

On the 1st of September, 1880, the mortgage
trustees took possession of the road by order of
court, and operated it until October 26, 1881,
when it was sold by them at auction for one
hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars to
Hon. S. W. Hale, who afterwards transferred
his title to the Boston and Lowell and Concord
Railroads, which corporations continued its oper-
ation.

It is now in good repair and forms a part
of the Boston and Lowell system.

HISTORY OF KEENE.

CHAPTER I.

Geographical — Original Grant by Massachusetts— First
Proprietors' Meeting — Laying out the Grant — Early
Votes — First Settlements — The Pioneers — -The Indian
Troubles — Building of the Fort — Josiah Fisher killed by
Indians — Further Depredations of the Savages — The
Settlement Abandoned.

The town ofKecnc lies near the centre of
the county and is bounded as follows : On
the north by Westmoreland, Surry and Gilsuni ;
east by Sullivan and lioxbury ; south by Swan-
zey and west by Chesterfield and Westmoreland.

The territory embraced within the bounds of
the present town of Keene, together with a por-
tion of Sullivan and Roxbury, was one of the
Massachusetts grants, made in accordance with
a vote of the General Court of that province of
July, 1 733. ( )n the 1 9th of October following
a committee, consisting of Joseph Kellogg, Tim-
othy Dwight and William Chandler, was ap-
pointed to lay out the townships on Ashuelot
River forthwith. They reported in February,
L734, and the township was lotted in May or
June following. The first proprietors' meeting
was held in Concord, Mass., June 2(5, 1734, and
in September following Jeremiah Hall, Daniel
Hoar, Josiah Fisher, Elisha Root, Nathaniel
Rockwood, Seth Heaton and William Puffer vis-
ited Upper Ashuelot, as the place was called, and
held a proprietors' meeting. They did not ar-
rive at the line of the township until late in
the evening of the 18th, the day to which the
meeting was adjourned; and, as soon as their
pilot informed them they had passed it, they
opened the meeting and adjourned to the next
day.

At the meeting held the next day a vote was
passed thai the whole of the intervale land in

the township should be surveyed, and that half
of it should be lotted out in two inclosures, one
so situated as to accommodate the fifty-four
house-lots laid out on the village plain, the
other so as to accommodate the nine house-lots
laid out on Swanzey line. A committee was
tdso appointed " to search and find out the best
and most convenient way to travel from the
upper unto the lower township."

At this period Upper Ashuelot was a frontier
settlement, in the bosom of the wilderness. It
was, of course, most exposed to savage incur-
sions, and was liable to suffer, in their ex-
tremity, all those distresses and calamities which
may be alleviated, if not prevented, by the
assistance and good offices of others. Its near-
est neighbor was Northficld, twenty miles dis-
tant ; Winchester, which was first granted, not
being then settled, or containing at most not
more than two or three huts.

The next meeting of the proprietors was held
at Concord, Mass., on the last Wednesday of
May, 1735. The committee appointed to sur-
vey the intervale land made a report. The lots
they had laid out contained eight acres; and, as
they were not all equal in quality, the propri-
etors voted that certain enumerated lots should
have qualification, or allowance, to consist of
from two to four acres each, and appointed
a committee to lay out these allowances. The
practice of qualifying lots, thus introduced, was
afterwards pursued, and occasioned great irreg-
ularity in the future allotments of land.

At this meeting a committee was appointed
"to join with such as the lower town propri-
etors shall appoint, to search and find out
whether the ground Mill admit of a convenient
road from the two townships on Ashuelot River
down to the town of Townsend."

KEENE.

At a subsequent meeting, held in September
of the same year, in the township, the propri-
etors were assessed in the sum of sixty pounds,
and a committee was " appointed to bill out this
money according to the proprietors' directions."
It appears by the record, that the mode of
billing out the money remaining in the treasury
was often practiced. A committee was also ap-
pointed to lay out a road to the saw-mill place,
which is about three-quarters of a mile north
from the house-lots. A vote was also passed
offering one hundred acres of "middling good
land " and twenty-five pounds to any person or
persons who would engage to build a saw-mill,
and saw boards for the proprietors, at twenty
shillings per thousand, and slit-work for £3 10s.
per thousand. John Corbet and Jesse Root
appeared and undertook to build the mill, and
a committee was thereupon appointed to lay
out the land. The mill was to be finished by
the 1st day of July, 1736. Under date of
May, 1735, appears a record of the expense of
laying out the second division of lots. The
surveyor was allowed fifteen shillings (seventy
cents), four others were allowed twelve shillings
and two others ten shillings per day.

On the 30th day of September, 1736, a meet-
ing of the proprietors was opened, according to
appointment, at the house-lot of Joseph Fisher,
but was immediately removed to the house of
Nathan Blake. This house was probably the first
erected in the township. A committee was
appointed " to agree with a man to build a
grist-mill," and they were authorized to offer
" not exceeding forty pounds encouragement
therefor." The proprietors also voted to build
a meeting-house at the south end of the town
street, at the place appointed by the General
Court's committee, to be forty feet long, twenty
feet stud and thirty-five feet wide, and to lay
boards for the lower floor — the house to be
finished by the 26th day of June, 1737.

At the same meeting a vote was passed to
widen the main street, which was originally but
four rods wide. It provided that, if the pro-
prietors of the house-lots on the west side of
the street would surrender four rods in depth
on the end of their lots adjoining the street,
they should have it made up in quantity in the

rear. This proposition was acceded to, and to
this measure the village is indebted for its broad
and elegant main street.

No person had hitherto attempted to remain
through the winter in the township. Those
who came in the summer to clear their lands
brought their provisions with them, and erected
temporary huts to shelter them from the weather.
In the summer of 1736 at least one house
was erected ; and three persons, Nathan Blake,
Seth Heaton and William Smeed, — the two first
from Wrentham and the last from Deerfield, —
made preparations to pass the winter in the
wilderness. Their house was at the south end
of the street. Blake had a pair of oxen and a
horse, and Heaton a horse. For the support of
these, they collected grass in the open spots;
and in the first part of the winter they employed
them in drawing logs to the saw-mill, which
had just been completed. Blake's horse fell
through the ice of Beaver Brook and was
drowned. In the beginning of February their
own provisions were exhausted, and to obtain
a supply of meal, Heaton was dispatched to
Northfield. There were a few families at Win-
chester, but none able to furnish what was
wanted. Heaton procured a quantity of meal ;
but before he left Northfield the suow began to
fall, aud when, on his return, he arrived at Win-
chester, it was uncommonly deep, and covered
wTith a sharp crust. He was told "that he might
as well expect to die in Northfield and rise
again in Upper Ashuelot, as ride thither on
horseback." Remembering the friends he had
left there, he nevertheless determined to make
the attempt, but had proceeded but a short
distance when he found that it would be impos-
sible to succeed. He then returned, and directed
his course towards Wrentham. Blake and
Smced, hearing nothing from Heaton, gave the
oxen free access to the hay, left Ashuelot, and
on snow shoes proceeded either to Deerfield or
Wrentham. Anxious for their oxen, they
returned early in the spring. They found them
near the Branch, southeast of Carpenter's, much
emaciated, feeding upon twigs and such grass as
was bare. The oxen recognized their owner,
and exhibited such pleasure at the meeting as
drew tears from his eyes.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

At a meeting of the proprietors, held May 12,
1737, they voted to assess sixty pounds on the
proprietors of the house-lots for the purpose of
hiring a gospel minister, and chose a committee
to agree with some meet person to preach the
gospel among them. This meeting was ad-
journed, to be held at the meeting-house place
on the 20th of* May. On the day appointed it
was there opened, but was immediately removed
to the intervale land, and there a vote was passed
that another division of meadow land should be
made. A committee was also chosen to "rep-
resent this propriety in applying to, and receiv-
ing of, the Honourable, the General Court's
committee for this township, the money granted
to said proprietors when they shall have the
frame of a meeting-house raised, and forty
proprietors settled on the spot."

The next meeting was held at the meeting-
house frame, June 30th. Jeremiah Hall was
recompensed for his services in searching for
and laying out a road to Townsend, and two
others were added to the committee appointed
to apply to the General Court's committee "for
the one hundred pounds" mentioned in the
proceedings of the last meeting. It was also
voted "that no meeting of the proprietors be
held, for the future, but at this place, so long as
there shall be seven proprietors inhabiting
here."

At a meeting held October 26th a vote was
passed that the "worthy Mr. Jacob Bacon should
draw for the second division of meadow land,
for the whole propriety.*' This is the first time
that the name of Mr. Bacon, who was the first
settled minister of the town, is mentioned in the
records.

At the same meeting a vote was passed to
lay out one hundred acres of upland to each
house-lot or right. The proprietors were to
draw lots for choice, and he who drew No. 1,
was to make his pitch by a certain day; and
those who drew the successive numbers on suc-
cessive day-, excluding Sundays, thus "giving
every man hi- day." Each lot was surveyed by
a committee, in such place and in such shape as
the proprietor drawing it directed. Some of
the plans recorded in the proprietors' records
exhibit figures which Euclid never imagined,

and probably could not measure. Common
land was left in every part of the township, in
pieces of all sizes and shapes.

Although the whites were at this time at
peace with the Indians, yet, deeming it not pru-
dent to remain without some means of defense,
the proprietors at this meeting voted that they
would finish the fort, which was already begun,
and that every one that should work or had
worked at said fort should briny; in his account
to the surveyor of highways and should be al-
lowed therefor on his highway tax-bill. This
fort was situated on a small eminence a few rods
north of the present residence of Lemuel Hay-
ward. When completed it was about ninety
feet square; there were two ovens and two wells
in the inclosure. It was built of hewn logs.
In the interior, next to the walls, Mere twenty
barracks, each having one room. On the out-
side it was two stories high, in the inside but
one, the roof over the barracks sloping inwards.
In the space above the barracks were loop-holes
to fire from with muskets. There were two
watch-houses, one at the southeast corner and
one on the western side, each erected on four
high posts set upright in the earth ; and for
greater safety, the whole was surrounded by
pickets.

January 7, 1740, a meeting of the proprietors
was held. In the warrant calling it, an article
was inserted " To make such grant or grants of
land to such person or persons as they shall
think deserve the same for hazarding their lives
and estates by living here to bring forward the
settling of the place." Upon this article the
following vote was passed, which probably gives
the names of nearly all the men then residing
in the township and the number of dwellings
erected :

" Voted, to grant ten acres of upland to each of the
persons hereafter named, viz. : Jacoh Bacon, clerk;
Josiah Fisher, Joseph Fisher, Nathan Blake, William
Smeed, Seth Heaton, Joseph Ellis, Ebenezer Nims,
Joseph Guild, Joseph Richardson, Isaac Clark, Ed-
ward Dale, Jeremiah Hall. Ebenezer Force, Daniel
Haws, Amos Foster, Ebenezer Day, Beriah Maccaney,
Jabe/. Bill, Obed Blake, Jeremiah Hall, Jr., David
Nims, Timothy Puffer, Ebenezer Daniels, Nathan
Fairbanks, John Bullard, David Foster, Solomon
Richardson, Aimer Ellis, Benjamin Guild, Asa Rich-

KEENE.

unison, Ebehezer Hill, Samuel Fisher, Ephraim Dor-
man, Timothy Sparhawk, Jonathan Underwood, John
Andrews, Samuel Smith, Samuel Daniels (39), and to
such other persons having an interest here, who, from
the first of next March to March, 1742, shall make
up the quantity or space of two years in living here,
and build a legal dwelling-house, to the number of
sixty, including those before mentioned."

A rumor of war having reached the town-
ship, the proprietors, February 25th, voted
that thev would build another fort whenever
seven of the proprietors should request it. It is
not known that this fort was ever built. Thev
also voted that there should be allowed for
every man who should work upon the forts
eight shillings, and for every pair of oxen four
shillings, per day.

The long and spirited contest between the
provinces of Massachusetts and New Hamp-
shire, respecting the divisional line between
them, had been carried before the King in Coun-
cil, and, in 1740, a decision was made that
from a point three miles north of Pawtucket
Falls the line should run due west until it
reached His Majesty's other governments. This
left Upper Ashuelot far within the boundaries
of New Hampshire. Upon this subject the
proprietors, on the 3d day of October, held. a
meeting, and the following proceedings appear
upon their records :

"The proprietors being informed that by the deter-
mination of his majesty in council, respecting the
controverted bounds between the province of Massa-
chusetts and New-Hampshire, they are excluded from
the province of the Massachusetts Bay, to which they
always supposed themselves to belong.

" Therefore, unanimously voted that a. petition be
presented to the King's most excellent majesty, set-
ting forth our distrest estate, and praying we may be
annexed to the said Massachusetts province.

"Also unanimously voted, that Thomas Hutchin-
son, Esq., be empowered to present the said petition
to his majesty, and to appear and fully to act for and
in behalf of this town, respecting the subject matter
of said petition, according to his best discretion."

Mr. Hutchinson had previously been ap-
pointed the agent of Massachusetts to procure
an alteration of the order in Council. He made
a voyage to England, but failed to accomplish
the object of his agency.

On the 10th of July, Deacon Josiah Fisher
was killed as he was driving his cow to pasture.

The road leading up the river then left the
main street by Mr. Lamson's tan-yard, led
along the margin of the meadow, back of his
house, crossed West Street a few rods west of
Aaron Hall's house and continued up the river,
near the adjoining low land, until it came upon
the route of the present turnpike above Deacon
Wilder's house, now occupied as a tavern.
Fisher was found dead and scalped in the road,
near where the Lamson Block now stands,
and it was supposed that the Indian who shot
him was concealed behind a log which then lay
within the present limits of Mr. Lamson's gar-
den. He had a brass slug in his wrist, which,
at the time, was conjectured to have been cut
from a warming-pan that had lately been lost
by one of the inhabitants.

In the early part of the year 1746 the Gen-
eral Court of Massachusetts sent a party of men
to Canada, for what purpose was not generally
known. On their return they passed through
Upper Ashuelot. On arriving in sight of the
settlement they fired their guns. This, of course,
alarmed the inhabitants, and all who were out —
and several were in the woods making sugar —
hastened home. From some cause or other sus-
picion was entertained that a party of Indians
had followed the returning whites, and for sev-
eral days the settlers were more vigilant and
more circumspect in their movements, seldom
leaving the fort, except to look after their cattle,
which were in the barns and at the stacks in
the vicinity.

Early in the morning of the 23d of April,
Ephraim Dorman left the fort to search for his
cow. He went northwardly, along the borders
of what was then a hideous and almost imper-
vious swamp, lying east of the fort, until he
arrived near to the place where the turnpike
now is. Looking into the swamp, he perceived
several Indians lurking in the bushes. He
immediately gave the alarm, by crying " In-
dians ! Indians ! " and ran towards the fort.
Two, who were concealed in the bushes between
him and the fort, sprang forward, aimed their
pieces at him and fired, but neither hit him.
They then, throwing away their arms, advanced
towards him ; one he knocked down by a blow,
which deprived him of his senses ; the other he

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

seized, and, being a strong- man and able
wrestler, tried his strength and skill in his
favorite mode of "trip and twitch." lie tore
his antagonist's blanket from his shoulder, leav-
ing him nearly naked. He then seized him by
the arms and body; but as he was painted and
greased, he slipped from his grasp. After a
short struggle, Dorman quitted him, ran to-
wards the fort and reached it in safety.

When the alarm was given, the greater pari
of the inhabitants were in the fort ; but some
had just left it to attend to their cattle. Cap-
tain Simms, the commander, as was the custom
every morning before prayers, was reading a
chapter in the Bible. He immediately exclaimed,
" Rush out, and assist those who are out to get
in ! " Most of the men immediately rushed out,
and each ran where his interest or affections led
him ; the remainder chose positions in the fort,
from which they could lire on the enemy.

Those who were out, and within hearing,
instantly started for the fort ; and the Indians,
from every direction, rushed into the street, fill-
ing the air with their usual horrid yell. Mrs.
Mclvenny had gone to the barn, near where
Miss Fiske's house now stands, to milk her
cow. She was aged and corpulent, and could
only walk slowdy. When she was within a few
rods of the fort, a naked Indian, probably the
one with whom Dorman had been wrestling,
darted from the bushes on the east side of the
street, ran up to her, stabbed her in the back,
and crossed to the other side. She continued
walking, in the same steady pace as before,
until she had nearly reached the gate of the
fort, when the blood gushed from her mouth,
and she fell and expired. John Bullard was at
his barn, below Dr. Adams'; he ran towards
the fort, but the instant he arrived at the gate,
he received a shot in his back. He fell, was
carried in and expired in a few hours. Mrs.
( Hark was at a barn, near the Todd house,
about fifty rods distant. Leaving it, she espied
an Indian near her, who threw away his gun,
and advanced to make her a prisoner. She
gathered her clothes around her waist, and
started for the fort. The Indian pursued; the
woman, animated by cheers from her friends,
outran her pursuer, who skulked back for his

gun. JSTathan Blake was at his barn, near
where his son's house now stands. Hearing
the cry of Indians, and presuming his barn
would be burnt, he determined that his cattle
should not be burnt with it. Throwing open
his stable-door, he let them loose, and presum-
ing his retreat to the fort was cut oil*, went out
at a back-door, intending to place himself in
ambush at the only place where the river could
be crossed. lie had gone but a lew steps
when he was hailed by a party of Indians con-
cealed in a shop between him and the street.
Looking back, he perceived several guns pointed
at him, and at this instant several Indians
started up from their places of concealment
near him, upon which, feeling himself in their
power, he gave himself up. They shook hands
with him, and to the remark he made that he
had not yet breakfasted, they smilingly replied
that " it must be a poor Englishman who could
not go to Canada without his breakfast." Pass-
ing a cord around his arms above the elbows,
and fastening them close to his body, they gave
him to the care of one of the party, who eon-
ducted him to the woods.

The number of Indians belonging to the
party wras supposed to be about one hundred.
They came near the fort, on every side, and fired
whenever they supposed their shot would be
effectual. They, however, neither killed nor
wounded any one. The whites fired whenever
an Indian presented himself, and several of
them were seen to fall. Before noon the
savages ceased firing, but they remained several
days in the vicinity.

The guns first fired were heard at the fort in
Swanzey, the commander of which immediately
sent an express to Winchester, with information
that the Indians had made an attack upon Upper
Ashuelot. From Winchester an express was
sent to the next post, and so on from post to
post to Northampton, where Colonel Pomeroy
commanded. Collecting all the troops and
militia there, and pressing all the horses in the
place, he instantly, at their head, set out for
Upper Ashuelot, and on his way added to his
number all the disposable force in the interme-
diate settlements. In little more than forty-
eight hours from the time the express started

KEENE.

from Swanzey he, with four or five hundred
men, arrived at Upper Ashuelot, the distance
down and back being at least ninety miles.
The arrival so soon of this relief was as unex-
pected as it was gratifying to the settlers. The
next morning Pomeroy sent out his men to
scour the woods in search of Blake. While
these were absent the Indians again showed
themselves on the meadow southeast of the
fort, where they killed a number of cattle. To
recall the troops, an alarm was fired, but was
not heard. In the afternoon they returned
unsuccessful, and that evening Mr. Bullard and
Mrs. McKenny were buried. The next morn-
ing they found the track of the Indians, and
followed it until they came to the place of their
encampment at night. This was east of Beech
Hill, not far from the present residence of Cap-
tain Chapman. It appearing that they dis-
persed, when departing from this place, they
were pursued no farther. Colonel Pomeroy, on
his way back to the fort, found that a house
belonging to a Mr. Heaton, and standing near
the place where his son's house now stands, had
been burnt. Among the ashes they discovered
human bones, and the leg of an Indian, uncon-
sumed. As it is known to have been the custom
of the Indians to take the most effectual means
in their power to conceal the amount of their
loss, they had doubtless placed in this house,
before they set it on fire, the bodies of such of
their party as had been killed, which they had
not otherwise concealed. The number, as near
as could be ascertained, was nine, and one or
two were burnt in the barn of Mr. Blake.

The next day inquiry was made for Mark
Ferry, the hermit. As he did not reside
among them, and had never performed the
duties of relation, friend or companion to any
of the settlers, they felt little solicitude for his
fate ; but, Colonel Pomeroy offering to send a
party of men, they agreed to send a pilot to
the place where they supposed he might be
found. This was Ferry meadow, on the
stream called Ferry Brook, within the present
limits of Sullivan, whither he had repaired, as
to a place of safety, when driven by the flood
from his cave from Bui lard's Island. They
found his horse confined under the shelter of

the root of a fallen tree, and, looking further,
espied him perched high upon the limb of a
large tree, mending his clothes. His personal
appearance indicated that he had not received
the benefit of shaving, nor ablution, for months.
They compelled him to descend, brought him to
the fort, led him to the officers' quarters, and,
with mock formality, introduced him to all the
officers and gentlemen of the party.

Apprehending no further danger to the
settlers, Colonel Pomeroy and his men returned
to their homes.

In the early part of May the same or
another party of Indians hovered about the
settlement, watehing for an opportunity to
make prisoners and to plunder. For several
successive nights the watch imagined that they
heard some person walking around the fort.
When it came to the turn of young McKenny,
whose mother had been killed, to watch, he
declared he should fire on hearing the least
noise without the fort. In the dead of ni^ht
he thought he heard some person at the picket
gate, endeavoring to ascertain its strength.
Having loaded his gun, as was usual among
the first settlers of the country, with two balls
and several buckshot, he fired through the gate,
which was made of thin boards. In the morn-
ing blood was discovered on the spot and also a
number of beads, supposed to have been cut,
by the shot, from the wampum of the Indian.

The inhabitants remained in the fort until
March or April, 1747. About this time they
passed an informal vote, releasing Mr. Bacon,
their minister, from all his obligations to them,
and resolved to abandon the settlement, which
resolution was immediately executed. Soon
after, a party of Indians visited the place and
burnt all the buildings, except the mill on
Beaver Brook and the house in which the
miller had resided.

It has been already mentioned that Mr.
Blake, when captured, was pinioned and con-
ducted by an Indian into the woods. After
traveling about two miles they came to a small,
stony brook. The Indian stooped to drink,
and, as Blake's hands were not confined, he
thought he could easily take up a stone and
beat out his brains. He silently prayed for

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

direction, and his next thought was that lie
should always regret that he had killed an
Indian in that situation, and he refrained.

NO particulars of his journey to Canada have
been obtained, except that he passed by ( !harles-
town. At Montreal he, with another prisoner
of the name of Warren, was compelled to run
the gauntlet. Warren, receiving a blow in the
face, knocked down the Indian who gave it,
upon which he was assaulted by several, who
beat him unmercifully, making him a cripple
for life. Blake, exhibiting more patience and
fortitude, received no considerable injury. He
was then conducted to Quebec, and thence to
an Indian village several miles north of that
place, called Conissadawga. He was a strong,
athletic man, and possessed many qualities
which procured him the respect of the savages.
He could run with great speed, and in all the
trials to which he was put, and they were many
and severe, he beat every antagonist.

Not long after his arrival at the village the
tribe lost a chief by sickness. As soon as his
decease was made known the women repaired
to his wigwam, and, with tears, sobs and
clamorous lamentations, mourned his death.
The funeral ceremonies performed, the men
-ought Blake, dressed him in the Indian
costume, and invested him with all the
authority and privileges of the deceased, as one
of the chiefs of the tribe and as husband of the
widow. In the family to which he now stood
in the relation of father there were, as he has
often remarked, several daughters of uncommon
beauty. Yet, notwithstanding this good fortune,
he still had difficulties to encounter. The tribe
was divided into two parties, his friends and
his enemies. The former consisted of the
great mass of the tribe, who respected him for
qualities to which they had not equal pre-
tensions ; the latter, of those who were envious
of his success and had been worsted in their
contests with him. These, to humble his pride,

sent far into the northern wilderness, and pro-
cured a celebrated Indian runner to run against
him. At the time assigned, the whole tribe
assembled to witness the race, and a French-
man, from Quebec, happened to be present.
Perceiving the excitement among then, he ad-
vised Blake to permit himself to be beaten,
intimating that fatal consequences might ensue
if he did not. The race was run, and Blake,
as advised by the Frenchman, permitted his
antagonist to reach the goal a moment before
he did. He persisted, however, after his
return from captivity, in declaring that he
might have beaten him if he had tried. The
event of the race restored harmony to the tribe,
and Blake was permitted to live in peace.

But, remembering the family he had left, he
felt anxious to return to his home. After
much intercession, the tribe proposed that if he
would build a house like those of the English,
he should be permitted to go to Quebec. Pre-
suming that, when there, he could more easily
obtain his liberty, he gladly acceded to the
proposition. With such tools as the Indians
possessed he prepared the necessary timber,
splitting the boards from the tree, and soon
completed his task. He then went to Quebec
and gave himself up to the French. He had
been there but a short time, when his Indian
wife came iu a canoe to reclaim him. He re-
fused to return, but, she soliciting and even
demanding him, he declared to her that, if he
should be compelled to set out with her, he
wrould overturn the canoe and drown her, upon
which she concluded to return without him.
In the fall the French commandant gave Blake
his election to pass the winter, as a laborer, with
a farmer in the vicinity of Quebec, or be confined
in the common gaol. He chose the latter, and
had no reason to regret his choice, as he had a
comfortable room and sufficient rations assigned
him. He remained in confinement until spring,
when his liberation was procured.

KEENE.

CHAPTER II.

KEENE— ( Continued).

Close of the Indian Troubles— Return of the Settlers— Up-
per Ashuelot Again Occupied — Incorporation of the
Town — Captain Jeremiah Hall Appointed Agent — The
First Petition for Incorporation, in 1751, not Granted
—The Petition of 1753— Charter Granted April 11, 1753
— First Meeting of Proprietors — The Town Revisited by
Indians.

The year 1750 witnessed the return of the
settlers to the Upper Ashuelot, from whence
they had been driven a few years previously by
the merciless Indian war which was carried on
by King Philip.

Upon the reoccupation of the place the set-
tlers at once decided to present a petition to the
Governor for the incorporation of the territory,
and the first movement for the incorporation of
the town by the State of New Hampshire was
under date of February 11, 1750, when
Captain Jeremiah Hall was appointed to pre-
sent the case to the Governor as follows :

" We whose Names are Hereunto Subscribed In-
habitants of the upper Ashuelot for a Long time
Labour under many Great Difficulties for want of
Town Priviledges we Do Therefore Hereby Constitute
and Impower our Trusty friend Cap* Jeremiah Hall
to Represent our Difficulties to his Excellency the'
Governor of New Hampshire and to Any Others Con-
cerned In that affair that we may be Incorporated
Into a Town and Likewise -we give power to him to
Chuse a man to assist him In the affaires
"Upper Ashuelot February ye 11th 1750
"William Smeed Ebenezer Day

Ebenezer Nims Gideon Ellis

David Nims Michaell Medcalf

Ephraim Dorman Michaell medcalf jr

Nathan Fairbanks Oliver Medcalf

Joseph Elles Abijah medcalf

Jonathan Underwood Jabez Hill

John Rogers Dayid Foster

Nathan Blake Amos Foster"

"We the Subscribers Do hereby Impower Cap'
Jeremiah Hall to Pertition In our behalf for the Upper
Township on Ashuelot River where we Dwell to his
Excellency the Governour of New Hampshire and all
Concern'd in that affair In the same form that it was
laid out by the Massachusetts
"Upper Ashuelot Feb1* 11th 1750

" William Smeed Jabez Hill

Ebenezer Nims Jonathan underwood

David Nims John Rogers

Ephraim Dorman Elijah Dorman

Nathan Fairbanks
Joseph Elles
Nathan Blake
Ebenezer Day
Gideon Ellis
Michael Medcalf

David Foster
Oliver medcalf
Michaell medcalf jr
Abijah medcalf
Samuell Hall
Jesse Hall "

February 20th, Benjamin Guild was chosen
to assist Captain Hall in " Petitioning His Ex-
cellency " as follows :

" We whose Names are Hereunto Subscribed Being
Propriators of the Upper Ashuelot Township so
called Do hereby Impower Mr Benjamin Guild to
joyne with Cap* Jeremiah Hall in Petitioning His
Exelency the Govoner of the Province of New Ham-
shire He observing the Instructions Given by others
of the Propriators to the said Cap1 Hall

" Wrentham Febr 20th 1750

" John Whiting William Hancock

Daniel Haws Samuel Danils

Joseph Fisher Esther Messenger

Samuel Fisher Jonathan Whiting

Benjamin Guild Jacob Bacon

Obediah Blake Nath11 Fairbnks

Ebenezer Daniells Abigail Guild

Nathaniel Ware Robert Blak

Hannah Dale Seth Heaton

Abner Ellis Elijah Blake

Asa Richardson Josiah Fisher for the
Sarah Greene hares of Aaron

Joseph Richardson Fisher

Daniell maceene Nathan Bucknam "

The following is the first petition for the in-
corporation of the town, 1751 :

" To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esqr Gov-
ernor and Commander in Chief in and over his
Majestys Province of New Hampshire and to the
Honorable his majestys Councill for said Province
" The Petition of Jeremiah Hall and Benjamin
Guild in behalf of them Selves and others Inhabitants
Setlers and Proprietors of a certain Tract of land
Called the upper Township on Ashuelot River in the
Province of New Hampshire on the East side of Con-
necticut River (a plan of which Tract of land is here-
with presented) most humbly Sheweth, that in the
year 1737, in virtue of a Grant from the massachusets
Government, a plantation was begun on said Tract of
land — That in the year 1738 a minister was settled
there and a meeting house built — That before the last
Indian War with the Indians there were Thirty one
Dwelling houses built on said Tract of land Sundry
barns and a Fort of near a hundred foot square having
eighteen fire Rooms within said fort a Saw mill and
Grist mill built — that the setlers and others who were
preparing for setling there before the Indian War had
made large Improvements there and laid out their
Substance in doing the Same —

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

"That in the Spring of ye year 1747 — The Indians

burnt down all the dwelling Houses there except four

— also burnt down all the Barns but one also burnt

down the meeting house and the Fort also much

houshold Stuff and killed Considerable Cattle Horses

Sheep and Swine That the s'1 Settlers and Proprietors

are returned and returning on to the said Tract of

land in order to cultivate and Improve the same and

in case a peace Continues with tbe Indians in a few

years there will be forty or fifty familys in case there

was an Incorporation — Wherefore your Petitioners

most humbly Pray your Excellency and Honours to

Incorporate the s'1 Tract of land agreeable to the

bounds thereof by the plan annexed and grant to your

Petitioners and others their Constituents such Ini-

mutys and Privileges as other Towns Enjoy in this

Tic iv i nee & your Petitioners as in duty bound

shall ever pray &c

"March y 4*1750-1

" Jeremiah Hall.

"Benjamin Guild."

This petition, however, was not granted, and,

February 2, 1753, the following petition was

presented and a charter was granted April 11,

17o.'>, under the name of Keene, probably in

honor of Sir Benjamin Keene, of England, who

at that time was minister from England to

Spain :

" Upper Ashualot Feb" yc 2d 1753
" We whose names are underwritten Do hereby
Authorize and Impower our Trusty Friend Mr
Ephraim Dorman to Prefer a Petition to his Excel-
lency the Governour of New Hampshire for a Town-
ship known by the Name of the Upper Ashuelot and
to Pray his Excellency to Grant a Charter of this
Land to the Inhabitants and others Concerned in said
Lands and to Insert a Clause in said Petition Praying
his Excellency that if it might be Consistent with his
Pleasure he would Insert a Clause in his Charter
whereby every man may be Intitled to those Lands
which he Thought himself to be the Honest owner of
he Paying the Charges that have arisen on said Lands
to Prevent Endless Law-Suits and other Difliculties
Impending over us and to set forth in said Petition
the Great Cost and Expence we have been at in Build-
ing two Forts and I '.fending the Kings Lands and
the Great Losses we have Sustained by the Enemy as
set forth in the Petition Lodged with M Atkinson
Secretary and to take the Names Lodged with Mr
Livermore and annex to said Petition

"Jeremiah Hall David Nims

William Barnes Ebenezer Day

Ebenezer Daniells William Smeed

Jabez Hill Ebenezer Nims

Timothy Harington [saac Clark

Daniel Twitchel Nathan Blake

Amos foster Michael medcalf ju

Titus Belding
Samuel Reed
Benjamin Larrabee
David Foster
Benjamin Twitchell

Joseph Elles
Gideon Ellis
Eleazer Sanger
Jonah French "

The first meeting of the proprietors, under
this charter, was held at Keene, on the first
Wednesday of May. Votes were passed grant-
ing to Benjamin Bellows one hundred and
twenty-two Spanish milled dollars for his ser-
vices and expenses in obtaining the charter;
and to Ephraim Dorman eight dollars forgoing
to Portsmouth ; raising one hundred and twenty-
two pounds, old tenor, to procure preaching :
and granting to Theodore Atkinson, the sec-
retary of the province, three hundred acres of
land.

The first town-meeting was held May 2,
1753, and the following officers were chosen:
Selectmen, Ephraim Dorman, Michael Metcalf
and William Smeed; Town Clerk, David
Nims; Treasurer, David Nims; Constable,
Ebenezer Nims; Surveyors of High way.--,
Gideon Ellis and Isaac Clark; Hog-Reeves,
Jonah French and William Barran; Fence-
Viewers, Lieutenant Seth Hcaton and Nathan
Blake ; Field-Drivers, John French and
Samuel Hall. Benjamin Bellows was moder-
ator of this meeting.

The inhabitants immediately directed their
attention to the concerns of religion. As a place
for public worship, they erected a building of
slabs, the earth serving as a floor; and with the
inhabitants of Swanzey they made a joint
arrangement for the settlement of a pastor.

In the warrant calling a town-meeting, to be
held June 13th, is the following article : "To see
if they (the freeholders, etc.) will make choice
of the Rev. Mr. Carpenter for our minister."
From the expressions here used it is probable
the church had already acted on the subject.
At the meeting Mr. Carpenter was chosen; the
sum of "fifty pounds, silver money, at six shil-
lings and eight-pence the ounce, or equivalent
in our own province bills," was offered him as a
settlement; and the town engaged to find him,
yearly, twenty cords of fire-wood. A contract
was subsequently made with Mr. Carpenter,
which was to continue in force three years, ami

KEENE.

in which it was stipulated that he should receive
from Keene a salary of twenty-six pounds,
lawful money. He also officiated as the minister
of Swanzey.

In December the inhabitants voted to build
a meeting-house, fortv-five feet long and thirty-
live wide, and agreed to set it at "the crotch of
the roads, so called, one road leading up the
river, and the other across the river to Ash
Swamp."

But in January, 1754," in consideration of the
unfitness of the ground, and the exposedness to
fire, and to the enemy, in case of a war," they
voted to set the house "on the road that goeth
from the town street to the mills, on the highest
ground, between the causeway, by William
Smeed's, and the bridge, by the clay-pits,'
Smeed lived where Dr. Twitchell, Sr., resided,
and the bridge was north of what was known as
Colonel Perry's store.

In this year the savages again committed
acts of hostility. Some time in the fall an
express arrived at Keene bringing information
that a party of the enemy had appeared in the
vicinity of Penacook (Concord), where they
had killed and captured several whites. This
was in the afternoon. The inhabitants imme-
diately assembled, and appointed several persons
to keep guard through the night, directing
them to walk continually from the house of
David Ninas (near Lewis Page's house, in
Prison Street) to the meadow gate (near Mr.
Carpenter's), and agreed immediately to com-
plete the fort, the rebuilding of which had
already been commenced. The next day every
one able to labor went to work upon the fort, and
soon prepared it for the reception of the settlers.

When traces of Indians were discovered near
any of the frontiers it Mas the custom to fire, as
an alarm to all within hearing, three guns in
regular and quick succession. If heard at any
of the posts, it was answered iu the same man-
ner ; if not answered, the alarm was repeated.
In June the people of Westmoreland, discover-
ing traces of Indians, fired an alarm, which
was heardat Keene. A body of men was im-
mediately sentto their relief ; but they returned
without discovering the enemy. That they

were lurking in the vicinity and that they fol-
lowed home the party from Keene is probable,
as the next day they captured Benjamin Twitchell.
He had been to Ash Swamp ; on his return he
took with him a tub, which, it is supposed, he
carried upon his head. This tub was afterwards
found on the east bank of the river, near where
the mills now stand ; and there the Indians
probably seized him. He was conducted up the
river; in the meadows west and north of Dea-
con Wilder's the Indians killed several oxen, a
horse and colt. The colt was cut up and the
best pieces of meat carried off. In this meadow
they left a bow, made of lever-wood, and sev-
eral arrows. They encamped for the night in
McCurdy's meadow, in Surry, where four
crotched sticks were discovered driven into the
ground in such positions as led to the belief
that to each was confined one of the limbs of
the prisoner. The party then proceeded to Que-
bec, where Twitchell met with Josiah Foster
and his family, who were captured at Winches-
ter. For the honor of Foster, the particulars
of his capture should be recorded. Returning
home one evening, he found his house in the
possession of Indians, who had captured his wife
and children. He could have escaped ; but he
determined to give himself up, that he might
share their fate and have an opportunity to
alleviate their sufferings. He accompanied
them to Quebec, carrying his wife on his back
a great part of the way. There they remained
until, being ransomed, they were sent by water
to Boston. Twitchell was put on board the
same vessel ; but, being taken sick, he was set
on shore and died in a few days.

A month or two afterwards a party of In-
dians were discovered in the meadow south of
the town line by the people of Swanzey. They,
with four soldiers to guard them, were coming
in a body, and armed, to work in the north
meadows. The soldiers, who were in advance,
heard a rustling in the bushes, and one, suppos-
ing it to be caused by a deer, fired his musket
at the spot. The Indians, supposing they were
discovered, rose and fired at the soldiers, who,
frightened, ran to I he quarter now called Scot-
land. The people, coming up, saw the Indians,

HIST011Y OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

attacked them, and drove them to the plain
west of the factory. An express was instant-
ly sent to Keene, and a party of fifteen men
under Captain Metcalf went out to meet them.
This party went first to the foot of the hill,
beyond Mr. Heaton's, supposing the Indians
would there cross the Branch. Remaining
there a short time without discovering any In-
dians, a Mr. Howard proposed to go to another
tor. I still farther up. Josiah French, a shrewd
man, observed, "Those who wish to meet with
the Indians had better stay here; I feel no de-
sire to see them, and will go over the hill with
Howard." It was agreed to go over the hill ;
hut no sooner had they reached the top of the
nearest eminence than they discovered nine In-
dians crossing at the ford they had left. They
lav in wait for them a few hours, but did not
see them afterwards. Returning to the fort,
Howard received no mercy from the men,
women and children within it. Several days
afterwards the men went in a body, and armed,
to hoe Mr. Day's corn, near Surry, and discov-
ered that an old house in that neighborhood
had been burnt; it was supposed to have been
sel on fire by the same party of Indians.

A i't<r wards, but in what year is not recol-
lected, another, and the last, party of Indians
made a visit to Keene. The inhabitants had
cleared and fenced a large common field consist-
ing of about two hundred acres, which was
used as a cow pasture, and the access to it was
by a path which led southwardly along the high
ground east of the place where the turnpike
and Baker's lane unite. When driving their
cows to this pasture, it was the custom of the
inhabitants not to go in the path, for fear of
■a surprise, but on one or the other side of it.
Early one morning they came suddenly upon a
party of Indians, concealed in thick bushes and
busily engaged in mending their moccasins.
They instantly stalled up and escaped. It
was afterwards ascertained that the leather with
which they were mending their moccasins had
been stolen the oight before, from a tannery at
Walpole (or ( !harlestown).

CHAPTER III.

KEENE— {Continued).

war OF THE REVOLUTION.1

First Reference to the War in Town Records — Vote to get
Stock of Powder, Lead and Flints — Keene in the Buttle of
Lexington — Tories — Bohea Tea — Various Resolutions —
List of Patriots — Battle of Bennington — Captain .Mack's
Sortie — Elijah Williams — Ilis Return to Keene — Un-
pleasant Reception — List of Foot Company in Keene in
1773— Alarm-List of 1774.

The first reference on the town records to the
War of the Revolution is under date of 1774.
In a warrant calling a town-meeting to be
held the 26th of September the following
articles were inserted : "To see if it be the mind
of the town to provide ammunition for a town
stock, and grant money for the same;" and
" To see if it be the mind of the town to sign the
covenant and engagement, which was sent and
recommended by the committee of corre-
spondence, relating to the non-importation agr
ment."

Upon the first article the town " Voted, to get
a stock of ammunition for the town, viz.: 200
lbs. of good gunpowder, 400 lbs. of lead, and
1200 flints; and to raise twenty-four pounds,
lawful money, for providing said articles."

Upon the other article the following pream-
ble and vote were adopted : " Whereas the towns
in this province have chosen members to rep-
resent them in a General Congress of all the
colonies, now sitting at the city of Philadelphia,
to consult and determine what steps are neces-
sary for the colonies to adopt, Voted, therefore,
nol to sign the non-importation agreement
until we hear what measures said Congress have
agreed upon for themselves and their constitu-
ents."

October 17th, Captain Isaac Wyman and
Lieutenant Timothy Ellis were chosen delegates
to attend the County ( longress at Walpole. No
information concerning the object or proceed-
ings of this Congress has been obtained.

In the winter of this year Elijah Williams,
Esq., instituted a suit against a citizen of Keene,
the writ being in the form then usual, commenc-

'Extracted from "Hale's Annals.

KEBNE.

ing, "George the Third, by the grace of God,
King," etc. Immediately afterwards a large
number of people, many coming from the neigh-
boring towns, assembled at Keene, seized Wil-
liams and took him with them to their place of
meeting, which was a barn standing by itself
in a field. They required him to stop the suit,
and to promise that he would issue no more writs
in the name of the King. Perceiving he had
no alternative, he complied, and was then set at
liberty.

On the 4th of January, 1775, at a legal town-
meeting, the inhabitants " Voted, to come into
the measures recommended by the Continental
Congress, in their association agreement." They
chose, agreeably to said advice, Isaac Wyman,
Timothy Ellis, Thomas Baker, Dan Guild and
William Ellis a Committee of Inspection.
They also chose Isaac Wyman to represent the
town at the meeting to be held at Exeter on the
21st day of said January, for the choice of dele-
gates to the Continental Congress.

At a town-meeting held February 23d, Cap-
tain Isaac Wyman was chosen "to represent
the town in the General Assembly, holden at
Portsmouth, on the said 23d day of February,
and so, day by day, during their sessions."

On the 19th of April was fought the battle
of Lexington. The instant that news of the
battle arrived in town, which was in the fore-
noon, Captain Dorman, who then commanded
the militia, called upon Captain Wyman.
"The regulars," said he, "have come out to
Concord, have killed six men, and the battle
was raging when the messenger started. What
shall be done?" "Send expresses," said Cap-
tain Wyman, "to every part of the town, notify-
ing the inhabitants to meet, forthwith, on the
green, and be governed by their decision." Ex-
presses were sent, the citizens met in the after-
noon, and a vote was unanimously passed that
a body of men should be sent to oppose the reg-
ulars. The question was asked, " Who shall
lead them ? " Captain Wyman was nominated,
was chosen, and, though far advanced in years,
cheerfully consented to go. Volunteers were
then called for, and about thirty presented them-
selves. Captain Wyman directed them to go
home immediately and prepare provisions for

their use, "for," said he, "all the roads will be
full of men, and you can procure nothing on the
way;" and he then appointed sunrise the next
morning the time, aud his house the place of
rendezvous. At sunrise they met, and im-
mediately started for Concord. In the after-
noon General Bellows, Colonel John Bellows
and Thomas Sparhawk arrived from Walpole,
and, riding to his house, inquired for Captain
Wyman. Being answered that he had started
at sunrise, at the head of a company of men,
they exclaimed, "Keene has shown a noble
spirit!" and hastened onwards. They were
soon followed by a party of men from Walpole.

At an informal meeting of the inhabitants,
held on the 27th of April, they chose Timothy
Ellis a delegate to meet the committee at Exeter,
and to sit, as a member, in the Provincial
Congress, whenever they convene. He ex-
pressed his willingness to accept the office, but
declared that he had not, and could not, in
season, procure money enough to bear his ex-
penses. The inhabitants, thereupon, " Voted,
that he might draw from the treasury four
pounds, lawful money."

Soon after the battle of Lexington several
Tories, among whom was Elijah Williams,
Esq., left this vicinity, and joined the British
in Boston.

In the warrant calling a town-meeting on
the 7th day of December, one of the articles was,
" To see if it be the mind of the town, that the
names of those persons who buy, sell or make
use of Bohea tea be advertised in the public
prints." At the meeting, held on the day ap-
pointed, this article passed in the negative ; but
a committee of inspection was appointed to see
that the resolves of the Continental Congress
be complied with. After dismissing two other
articles, relating to the troubles of that period,
the town unanimously adopted the following
resolves, which may be termed the Statute Law
of Keene. And here it may be proper to state
that no judicial courts were held in the county
from 1774 to 1778.

" Whereas, by the unhappy disputes now subsisting
between Great Britain and the American Colonies,
the laws of several of them have been entirely sub-
verted, or wholly neglected, to the great detriment of

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

society, and of individuals, whereby many disorderly
persons, taking undue advantage of the times, as a
cloak to put their revengeful designs in execution, do
wickedly and maliciously threaten to abuse and
destroy the persons and property of many of the
good and wholesome inhabitants of the land, and the
executive power being thrown by; and the Con-
gresses, neither Continental or Provincial, have, as
yet, found out or published any method or system of
government, for the security of our persons or prop-
erty; and until such a system as they in their wisdom
shall see lit. or some other be proposed, —

" We, the inhabitants of the town of Keene, in the
county of Cheshire, and province of New-Hamp-
shire, legally convened, being desirous of order and
good government, and for the security of our lives,
persons and property, do pass the following Resolves:

"• 1st. It is Resolved, that a committee of three good
and steady men of the town be chosen to act upon, and a
proper officer appointed to prosecute the Resolves
hereafter mentioned.

"iM. Whereas, profane cursing and swearing are
highly provoking to Almighty God and offensive to
every t rue Christ ia n, which we fear, if not discount-
enanced, will provoke the Divine Majesty to bring
heavy judgments upon us, and still heavier, deliver us
up to the desire of our enemies ; to prevent cursing
and swearing, be it Resolved, that if any person or
persons shall profanely curse or swear, and shall be
thereof convicted before the committee, by sufficient
witnesses or by confession of the party, every such
offender shall forfeit and pay to the committee, for
the use of the poor of said town, a sum not exceeding
three shillings, nor less than one; according to the
repeatedness of the offence, and pay cost of prosecu-
tion, which cost shall be ascertained by tin' committee
before whom the person shall be convicted, and in
case any person, convicted as aforesaid, shall refuse
to pay the sum or sums so forfeited and adjudged, he,
she or they shall be immediately committed to the
common gaol not exceeding ten days nor less than
three for said forfeiture, and until he pay all just
costs.

"3d. Whereas, it is highly necessary that every
person of able body should betake himself to some
h '>t calling, and not mis-spend their time in loiter-
ing and tippling in licensed house- or elsewhere in
this town, to prevent which,

"Beit Resolved, that if any person or persons, fit
and able to work, shall refuse so to do, but loiter and
mis-spend Ins or their time, wander from place to
place, or otherwise misorder themselves, by drinking
or tippling in any of the licensed houses or elsewhere
in this town, after nineo'clock at night, or continue in
any of the aforesaid houses above the space of one
hour, unless on necessary business, all such persons
being convicted of any of the aforesaid articles before
said committee, by sufficient witnesses, shall, for every

such offense, forfeit and pay to the said committee,
for the use id' the poor of said town, the sum of two
shillings, and all just costs of trial, which shall be
adjudged by said committee, and in case any person,
convicted as aforesaid, shall refuse to pay the sum or
sums so forfeited and adjudged, he or they shall be
committed to the common gaol, there to remain not
exceeding ten days, nor less than three days, for said
forfeiture, and until he pay all just costs.

"4th. Whereas, personal abuse tends to promote ill
blood and discord among society, to prevent which,
be it Resolved, that if any person or persons shall
smite, or strike, or threaten to abuse or destroy the
person or property of another, he or they so offend-
ing shall, for the first offense, pay to the said com-
mittee, for the use of the poor of said town, the sum
of five shillings, and costs of prosecution, and double
that sum for the second offense, and for the third or
any after offense, shall be imprisoned or publicly
whipt, according to the judgment of the committee
before whom they are convicted, and in case any per-
son, being convicted as aforesaid, shall refuse to pay
the sum or sums so forfeited and adjudged, he or they
shall be committed to the common gaol, there to re-
main not exceeding ten days nor less than four, for
said forfeiture, and until he pay all just costs.

"5th. Further be it Resolrcd, that if any person or
persons shall presume to purchase, or bring into this
town, any teas, of what sort soever, until the mind-
id' the Congress respecting that article shall be fully
known, shall forthwith deliver up such teas to one or
more of the committee, to be stored by them and
kept for the owner until the minds of the Congress
be known respecting that matter, and in case any
person shall refuse to deliver up said tens, the com-
mittee have power to imprison him until he does.

"6th. And for the better execution of all and every
the foregoing articles, it is Resolved, that all and each
of the said committee shall have full power and
authority to bring before them any of the inhabitants
of this town, or any person residing in said town, that
shall offend in any of the foregoing resolves, and
upon his or their own views, or other sufficient con-
viction of any such offense, to impose the fine and
penalty for the same, and to commit the offender
until it be satisfied.

"7th. It is likewise Resolved, that the officer ap-
pointed shall have power and authority to carry any
person that shall be found trespassing in any of the
foregoing particulars, before said committee for trial,
and, if need be, may command aid and assistance in
discharging his trust, and any person refusing to give
aid or assistance, as aforesaid, he or they shall forfeit
the sum of three shillings for every offence, and have
their name- inserted in the public Gazette as un-
friendly to good order.

"A ml all masters and heads of families in this town
are hereby directed to take effectual care that their

KEENE.

children, servants and others under their immediate
government do not trespass in any of the foregoing
particulars.

" Chose Thomas Baker, Eliphalet Briggs and Dan
Guild as a committee to judge, determine and act up-
on said Resolves and put them in execution, and
chose Elijah Blake officer for the purpose mentioned
in said Resolves."

This extract informs the reader of the origin
of the Committee of Safety for the State, and
enables him the better to understand the follow-
ing document :

" To the Selectmen of Keene :

"Colony of New Hampshire.

"In Committee of Safety, April 12th, 1776.
" In order to carry the unwritten Resolve of the
Hon'ble Congress into Execution, You are requested
to desire all Males above Twenty-One Years of Age,
(Lunaticks, Idiots, and Negroes excepted,) to sign to
the Declaration on this paper; and when so done to
make return hereof, together with the Name or Names
of all who shall refuse to sign the same, to the General
Assembly, or Committee of Safety of this Colony.

" M. Weare, Chairman.

" In Congress, March 14, 1776.

"Resolved, That it be recommended to the several
Assemblies, Conventions and Councils, or Commit-
tees of Safety of the United Colonies, immediately to
cause all persons to be disarmed, within their respec-
tive Colonies, who are notoriously disaffected to the
cause of America, Or who have not associated, and re-
fuse to associate, to defend by Arms the United Colo-
nies, against the Hostile Attempts of the British
Fleets and Armies.

" Extract from the Minutes.

(copy.) "Charles Thompson, Sec'y.

" In consequence of the above Resolution, of the
Hon. Continental Congress, and to show our Deter-
mination in joining our American Brethren, in de-
fending the Lives, Liberties and Properties of the In-
habitants of the United Colonics,

" We, the Subscribers, do hereby solemnly engage,
and promise that we will, to the utmost of our Power,
at the Risque of our Lives and Fortunes, with Arms
oppose the Hostile Proceedings of the British Fleets
and Armies against the United American Colonies.

" Thomas Frink.
Nathan Blake.
Eliphalet Briggs, Jr.
Josiah Richardson.
Joseph Blake.
Daniel Kingsbury.
Dan Guild.
Eli Metcalf.
Ichahod Fisher.

Bartholomew Grimes.
David Willson.
Benjamin Balch.
Ebenezer Day.
John Dickson.
Naboth Bettison.
Abraham Wheeler, Jr.
James Wright.
John Houghton.

Thomas Wilder,
Isaac Wyman.
David Foster.
Ephraim Dorman.
Seth Heaton.
Andrew Balch.
Gideon Ellis.
Thomas Baker.
Benjamin Archer.
Joseph Ellis.
Simeon Washburn.
David Nims.
Elisha Briggs.
Benjamin Archer, Jr.
Samuel Wood.
Eliphalet Briggs.
Nathaniel Briggs.
Elijah Blake.
Uriah Willson.
John Le Bourveau.
David Foster, Jr.
Timothy Ellis.
Gideon Tiffany.
Jesse Hall.
Michael Metcalf.
. I esse Clark.
Gideon Ellis, Jr.
David Nims, Jr.
Abraham Wheeler.
William Ellis.
Joshua Osgood. •
Nathaniel Kingsbury.
Reuben Daniels.
Reuben Partridge.
Cephas Clark.
Ebenezer Carpenter.
Timothy Ellis, Jr.
Eliakim Nims.
Caleb Ellis.
Joseph Willson.
Davis Howlett.
Timothy Ellis ye 3d.
Benjamin Willis.
Samuel Chapman.
John Balch.
Ahi jab Metcalf.
Henry Ellis.
Luther Bragg.
Seth Heaton, Jr.
Josiah Ellis.
Benjamin Osgood.
Ebenezer Newton.
Daniel Willson.
Ezra Harvey.
David Harris
Obadiah Blake, Jr.
Zadoc Nims.
Isaac Clark.

Silas Cook.
Nathan Blake, Jr.
Nathan Rugg.
Stephen Larrabee.
Robert Spencer.
Ebenezer Cook.
Joshua Ellis.
Jotham Metcalf.
Moses Marsh.
Simeon Clark, Jr.
Benjamin Ellis.
Ashahel Blake.
Samuel Bassett.
Jedediah Well man.
Jonathan Heaton.
Simeon Ellis.
Benjamin Ellis.
James Crossfield.
Joseph Ellis, Jr.
Thomas Baker, Jr.
Thomas Wells.
Achilles Mansfield.
Royal Blake.
William Gray.
Aaron Gray, Jr.
John Daniels.
Samuel Daniels.
Jedediah Carpenter.
William Goodenough.
Adin Holbrook.
Hezekiah Man.
Jeremiah Stiles.
Samuel Hall.
Jonathan Archer.
Abraham Pond.
Silas French.
Eliphalet Carpenter.
Benjamin YVillard.
Jacob Town.
John Day.
Peter Rice.
Isaac Est v.
Jonathan Dwinell.
Thomas Dwinell.
John Connolly.
Abijah Wilder.
Zadoc Wheeler.
Daniel Snow.
William Nelson.
Israel Houghton.
William Woods.
Asaph Nichols.
Elisha Ellis.
Thomas Fields.
Michael Sprought.
Benjamin Tiffany.
James Eddy.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

"Agreeably to the within direction, we have re-
quested all in this Town to sign, as herein set forth;
and hereto annexed the names of all those who lie-
fuse to sign within Declaration, viz.:

Maj. Josiah Willard.
I.t. Benjamin Hall.
Dr. Josiab Pomeroy.
Samuel Wadsworth.
Robert ( Silman.
John White.
Elea/.er Samrer.

Abner Sanger.
Thomas Cutter.
James Perkins.
Benjamin < Osgood, Jr.
John Swan,
■lames Hunt.

" Eliphalet Briggs, Jr., 1 e? t

I Selectmen
"Josiah Kiciiakdsox, | . , ™

\ of the Town
"Joseph IJlake, , ,- „

u _ .. of Keener

" Daniel Kinsbury. J

The representatives of the General Assembly
having desired their constituents to nominate
justices of the peace, the inhabitants, April 3d,
" Voted, unanimously, that it is the mind of this
town that Colonel Isaac Wyman be appointed."

August 2d, " Captain Eliphalet Briggs was
chosen a delegate, to meet with other delegates
at Walpole, to consult and agree upon such
methods as shall be thought necessary for the
general good, and our mutual defense and
safety." This convention was called by order
of a subcommittee of the several Committees
of Safety in the county.

The following memorandum is copied from
the records of this year, 1777 :

" Whereat), orders were sent from the Court to the
Selectmen, desiring them to assist the commanding
officers of the militia in the town, by causing a town-
meeting to be called, in order to raise men for the
Continental army during the war, in obedience to
which, a legal meeting was warned, and the town met
on the 31st of March, made several proposals for en-
couragement, and voted thirty pounds to each man,
if a sufficient number would turn out, but as not any
appeared, the meeting was dismissed and nothing
voted that was conclusive or valid."

In May or June a court, appointed by the
< oinniittee of Safety in the county, was held at
Scene, before whom were brought the princi-
pal Tories in the county, to be tried for their
offenses or opinions. It has not been ascer-
tained who were members of this court, but
Benjamin Giles, of Newport, and Colonel
Hammond, of Swanzey, were probably two.
The Tories were guarded by a body of men, of
whom Mr. Floyd, of Walpole, was commander.

The court sat nearly two weeks before they
came to any decision ; and it was supposed by
some, at the time, that the object of this delay
was that the violent Whigs, by whom they
were surrounded, might become weary and dis-
perse, and leave them at liberty to give a more
lenient judgment than was demanded. In the
end the court decided that the Tories should be
confined to their farms, and give bonds for
their good behavior.

At a town-meeting held June 11th a com-
mittee was chosen "to state the price of articles,
labor, &c., as the law directs." The town " Voted
to pay to each man that has or shall enlist into
the Continental army, for the term of three
years, or doing the war, to make up the quota
of this town, the sum of thirty pounds, exclu-
sive of the bounty given by this State; and
also to allow those that have done service in the
war heretofore, in the same proportion as fifty-
six pounds is for three years; and a committee
was chosen to make an exact proportion of what
every man had done in the war, in time past, in
order that an exact assessment may be made for
the above said charge."

Mrs. Sturtevant, who is the widow of Cor-
nelius Sturtevant, Jr., the printer, was born in
177(1, and is now living with mental faculties
bright and vigorous, well remembers that, in
early girlhood, when going to school from
Wesl Street to the school-house just south of
the old Ralston bouse, she passed the old jail;
standing near where the Emerald House now
stands. It was made of hewn logs, with a
small hole for a window. She and her com-
panions often stopped to hear a Mr. Baxter,
who was confined there, sing the " Vicar of
Bray." This Baxter was a Tory, lived in Surry
or Alstead, and was probably then confined for
Toryism. Tradition speaks of him as wealthy
for the time, bold, reckless, fond of enjoyment
and of defying public (•pinion. He doubtless
sang the" Vlcarof Bray " to reproach andpro-
voke the rebels outside for having deserted their
King and sworn allegiance to the new govern-
ment. He emigrated to Nova Scotia.

The battle of Bennington was fought this
year. On the fall of Ticonderoga urgent calls
came from the Americans in that region to the

KEENE.

people of Vermont and New Hampshire to
hasten to their assistance.

Major Ellis, Josiah Richardson, Joshua Du-
rant and others immediately crossed the Green
Mountains, and soon found themselves in front
of the Hessian breastwork, sustaining and re-
turning an incessant fire. The major, some-
what excited, ordered a charge, and himself and
most of his men leaped over, among whom was
Durant. The Hessians wavered, scattered and
fled. Durant pursued a party of three, and
gaining fast upon them, the hindmost turned
back, their muskets at this moment touching
each other. Durant fired first and killed his
antagonist. While reloading, the other two
turned back upon him. He wrenched his bayo-
net from his gun, seized one by the collar, and
was about to stab the other, when both called
for quarter and surrendered themselves prison-
ers. The three were brothers. For many
years afterwards Durant occasionally wore, as
trophies, a waistcoat and silver-mounted breast-
pin taken from the man he had killed.

Mr. Richardson came home with the glory
of having captured three Hessians. He allowed
the world to believe the story to be true, as in
fact it was, but to his friends he admitted that,
either from terror or dissatisfaction with their
condition, they appeared to be not very unwill-
ing captives.

In December, in town-meeting, Captain Stiles,
Captain Howlet and Jabez Fisher were succes-
sively chosen representative, and each declined
accepting the office ; Timothy Ellis was then
chosen and consented to serve. The town " Voted
to empower the representative to act in behalf
of the town in the choice of delegates to the
Continental Congress." A similar vote was af-
terwards annually passed, from which it may
be inferred either that the town did not con-
sider their representatives had authority, or that
the latter were unwilling; to act in this behalf
without such a vote.

At a meeting held January 17, 1778, the in-
habitants, " after reading and conferring upon
the Articles of Confederation of the Continental
Congress, voted that it is the minds of the town
that they be established by this State.

' Voted, further to instruct the representative

to use his influence in the General Assembly
that a free and full representation of every town
in this State take place to a Convention, to meet
at such time and place as the General Assembly
shall appoint," to form a plan of government
for said State.

Chose Captain Stiles, Major Ellis and Cap-
tain Griswold delegates to meet at Surry, and
consult with the delegates of the other towns.

April 27th, Jeremiah Stiles was chosen a
delegate to meet in the convention to be held
at Concord for the purpose of forming a Con-
stitution and plan of government for the
State.

At a meeting held March 2, 1779, the town
" Voted that the selectmen be a committee to
give the representative instructions to use his
influence that the delegates from this State to
the Continental Congress lay claim to the New
Hampshire Grants, so called, provided that
Congress will not confirm the same into a new
State."

In this year Captain Mack, of Gilsum,
probably incited by some of the zealous Whigs
in Keene, collected a party with a view of ap-
prehending several Tories who resided here, and
who were suspected of furnishing the enemy
with provisions. On the evening of the 30th
of May l they assembled at Partridge's tavern,
near Wright's mills, on the road to Surry. In
the night Mack sent forward several men with
directions to place themselves separately at the
doors of those houses where the Tories resided,
and prevent their escape. At sunrise he rode
into Keene, at the head of his party with a
drawn sword ; and when he came to the house
of a Tory he ordered the sentinel standing at the
door to "turn out the prisoner." The prisoner
being brought out and placed in the midst of
his party, he proceeded onward. Having gone
through the street, collected all of them and

1 The first line of a song, remembered by an aged citizen,
fixes the day when this party visited Keene :

" On the thirty-first of May,
Appeared in Keene, at break of day,
A mob, both bold and stout."

Those who lived in these times well remember thai the
muses were not silent amid tlie din of arms.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

searched their cellars for provisions, of which
he found Little, he returned to the tavern of
Mr. Hall, and confined them in a chamber.

But, when he first made his appearance,
information was sent to Mr. Howler, who then
commanded the militia, of the commotion in
the village. He instantly sent expresses to
warn his company to appear forthwith in the
street, with their arms and ammunition. They
came about the middle of the forenoon, were
paraded, facing south, in front of the meeting-
house, then standing south of where it now
does — on a line with the north line of West
Street — and were ordered to load their guns
with powder and hall. Mack paraded his com-
pany across the street from the tavern to the
Watson house, facing their antagonists. Col-
onel Alexander, of Winchester, who then com-
manded the regiment, had been sent for, and
now came. He asked Captain Mack if he in-
tended to pursue his object. " I do," replied he,
"at the hazard of my life." "Then," said the
colonel, emphatically, " you must prepare for
eternity, for you shall not be permitted to take
vengeance, in this irregular mode, on any men,
even if they are Tories." This resolute speech
cooled the ardor of many. After deliberating
a while, Mack ordered his party to face about,
and led them a short distance southward ; and
the militia then went into the meeting-house.
Not lone.- afterwards the mob faced about again,
and marched silently by the meeting-house,
towards Surry; but though silently, they did
not march in silence, for the women, as they
passed, furnished noisy and lively music, on
tin pans and warming-pans, until they disap-
peared from view.

At a meeting held July 7th the town chose"a
committee to hire and agree with five men bo
serve in the Continental army, on the best terms
they can ;" and the same committee were empow-
ered to hire two men for the Rhode Island ser
vice, at the town's charge.

October 2<»th the Town voted to raise three
hundred and thirty pounds for paying the charge
of raisins: men for the defense of the State of
Rhode Esland, and the sum of four hundred
and thirty-one pounds for the charge of raising
men for the Continental service.

June 27 1 780, the town voted to give fifty
dollar- (as it is valued and stipulated in the act
of court) to each able bodied man that will
engage in the Continental service, in behalf of
the town, for the space of six months.

In the warrant calling a town-meeting, to
be held July '20th, the following article was
inserted :

" Whereas, by an act el' the General Assembly <>i'
this State, each town is obliged to provide (monthly)
a quantity of beef tor the use of the Continental army,
for the space of live months; therefore to see what
method the town will take to procure said quantity of
beef."

At themeeting the town voted "to raise eleven
thousand three hundred and nine pounds of beef,
each person to have liberty to pay his equal pro-
port ion thereof in beef, or to pay so much
money in lieu thereof as life was taxed in the
last State and Continental tax."

On the 24th of January, 1781, the selectmen,
reciting that, " by a late act of the Gem ral As-
sembly, each town is oblige to furnish their
quota of men for the Continental army as soon
as possible," called a meeting, to be held Febru-
ary 7th, "to see what method the town will
take to raise their quota."

At a meeting thus called the following votes
were passed : "Voted,to choose a committee to
make an average of what service each man has
done heretofore, as to hiring men or going per-
sonally into the service of the United States."
Upon further consultation and consideration, it
was voted to postpone the average to some future
time, and " Foted, to divide the ratable inhabit-
ants of the town into twelve equal classes, and
each class to procure a man to serve in the Con-
tinental army the space of three years, or
during the war upon their own charge, as soon
as may be."

At a meeting held April 16, 1782, the town
voted to choose a committee to make an account
of the service each man has done in the presenl
war, and make an average, so that each man
may have credit for what he has already done;
and also to divide or class the inhabitant- into
twelve equal classes (credit for what each man
has done in be given him), and each class to
provide, or hire, a man for the space of three

KEENE.

years, or during the war, upon their on cost;
said classes to be so made that each pay equal
taxes.

At a town-meeting held June 19, 1783, the
town " Voted, unanimously, that the representa-
tive be instructed to use his influence that all
who have absented themselves from any of the
United States of America, and joined with, or
put themselves under the protection of, the ene-
mies of the United States, be utterly debarred
from residing within this State." This vote
was passed at the request of the representative,
Daniel Kingsbury, to be instructed on the sub-
ject.

The treaty of peace with Great Britain hav-
ing secured to the Tories the privilege of return-
ing to this country to collect their debts and
and settle their affairs, Elijah Williams, .Esq.,
came to Keene for that purpose in the begin-
ning of this year. His appearance here so ex-
asperated the zealous Whigs that they seized
him and carried him before Thomas Baker,
Esq., a justice of the peace. What were the
charges against him, or whether any charges
were exhibited, has not been ascertained. The
justice, perhaps with a view to protect him
from outrage, ordered him to recognize for his
appearance at the Court of Sessions, to be held
at Charlestown, in April, and committed him to
the custody of the sheriff. With this the pop-
ulace were not satisfied, and they discovered an
intention of assaulting; and beating- him : but
he was surrounded and guarded to his lodgings
by the old and the young men who happened to
be present.

The animosity of the Whigs, aggravated
probably by the arts of those who were in-
debted to him, was, however, so great that they
determined he should not thus escape their ven-
geance. On the day before that appointed for
the sitting of the court a party concealed them-
selves in the pines near Fisher Brook, intend-
ing, when he passed with the sheriff, to get him
into their power. The sheriff passed without
him, relying upon the promise he had made to
appear at court the next day. This circum-
stance excited their suspicions ; they came im-
mediately into the street, seized Williams at his
lodgings, and, placing him in the midst of

them, repaired to a tavern in Ash Swamp.
When he arrived there two bundles of black-
beech rods were produced, from which it ap-
peared that a plan had been concerted to compel
him to run the gauntlet, with the view, proba-
bly, of inducing him, by such harsh treatment,
again to leave the country. But by this time
a large number of considerate citizens had as-
sembled and arrived at the tavern. A proposi-
tion was made that the whole subject should be
referred to a committee. A committee was ap-
pointed ; their report was too favorable to Wil-
liams to suit the majority, and was rejected.
Another committee was appointed, who reported
that he should leave the town the next day and
leave the State the next week. This report
was agreed to; but the minority, still dissatis-
fied, privately sent out messengers, to collect
more of their friends. This being communi-
cated to those who were disposed to protect
Williams, they advised him to retire imme-
diately. An attempt was made to prevent him
from mounting a horse, which had been offered
him by a friend. A conflict ensued, in which
the horse was overthrown, and several persons
were knocked down with clubs. He at length,
however, mounted, with the assistance of his
friends, and rode through the crowd, which
continued to oppose him.

The next day he repaired to Charlestown,
and presented himself to the court, which
thereupon passed the following order: "That
Elijah Williams, Esq., now in the keeping of
Isaac Griswold, by virtue of a mittimus from
Thomas Baker, Esq., continue in the custody
of the said Isaac until he shall have transacted
the business upon which he came into this part
of the country, and then be permitted to leave
this State, upon his good behavior, without
further molestation." After settling his affairs
Williams repaired to Nova Scotia. Shortly
after, in consequence of ill health, he returned
to Deerfield, his native town, died, and was
buried by the side of his ancestors.

The following is a list of the foot company
in Keene in 1773 :

" Lieut. Benjamin Hall.
Ensign Michael Metcalf.
Clerk Simeon Clark.

Joseph Gray.
Samuel Hall.
Jesse Hall.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Serj. Elijah Blake.
Serj. Thomas Baker.
Serj. Isaac Esty.
Serj. Jede. Carpenter.
Corp. Dan Guild.
Corp. Joseph Blake.
Corp. Abijah Metcalf.
Benjamin Archer.
Jonathan Archer.
Ashael Blake.
John Brown.
Elisha Briggs.
John Balch.
Benjamin Balch, Jr.
Luther Bragg.
Samuel Bassett.
John Burt.
Nathan Blake, Jr.
Obadiah Blake, Jr.
Royal Blake.
Naboth Bettison.
Thomas Baker, Jr.
John Pray Blake.
Cephas Clark.
Seth Clark.
Eliphalet Carpenter.
Ebenezer Carpenter.
Samuel Chapman.
Silas Cook.
Isaac Clark.
Simeon Clark, Jr.
Jonas Clark.
John Day, Jr.
John Daniels.
Reuben Daniels.
John Dickson.
Addington Daniels.

Ebenezer Day, Jr.
Jacob Day.

James Dean.

Timothy Crossfield.

Joseph Ellis, Jr.

Gideon Ellis, Jr.

Simeon Ellis.

Timothy Ellis (3d).

William Ellis.

Caleb Ellis.

Stephen Esty.

James Eady.

Benry Ellis.

Benjamin Ellis.

Benjamin Ellis, Jr.

Joshua Ellis.

Jabez Fisher.

Silas French.

Da v ill Foster, Jr.

Peter Fiskin.

Aaron Gray, Jr.

Peter Hubbert.
Seth Heaton, Jr.
John Houghton.
Joseph Hills,
Davis Howlet.
Ziba Hall.
Jonathan Heaton,
Luther Heaton.
Nathaniel Kingsbury.
Daniel Kingsbury.
Stephen Larrabee.
Daniel Lake.
Ezra Metcalf.
Jonathan Metcalf.
Moses Marsh.
Eli Metcalf.
Daniel Metcalf.
William Nelson.
David Nims, Jr.
Ebenezer Newton.
Asahel Nims.
Eliakim Nims.
Zadock Nims.
Alpheus Nims.

Joshua Osgood.
Benjamin Osgood, Jr.

Amos Partridge.
Jonathan Pond.
Abiachar Pond.

Nathan Rugg.
Josiah Richardson.

Eleazer Sanger.

Abner Sanger.

Robert Spencer.

Jeremiah Stiles.

Richard Smith.

John Swan.

Jacob Town.

Joseph Thatcher.

Abraham Wheeler, Jr.,

Joseph Willson .

William Woods.

Oliver Wright.

Jedediah Wellman.

David Willson.

Daniel Willson.

Thomas Wells.

John White.

.Fames Wright.

Zadock Wheeler.
Walter Wheeler.

Samuel Wadsworth.

Abijah Wilder.

Jonathan Wheeler.

Thomas Wilder.

Thomas Morse.
Ephraim Leonard.
Peter Daniels.

William Goodenow. Luke Metcalf.

John Griggs. Isaac Wyman, Jr.

" Errors excepted.

" Ephraim Dorman, C.
" To Col. Josiah Willard, Keene, August 7,
1773."

The following is the alarm-list belonging to
Keene :

Lieut. Seth Heaton.
Dea. David Foster.
John Day.
Abraham Wheeler.
Nathan Blake.
Joseph Ellis.
Uriah Wilson.
Ebenezer Nims.
David Nims.
Gideon Ellis.
Lieut. Andrew Balch.
Aaron Gray.
Ebenezer Day.
Eliphalet Briggs.
Benjamin Archer.
Capt. Isaac Wyman.
Doct. Obadiah Blake.
Lieut. Timothy Ellis.
Thomas Frink, Esq.
Doct. Josiah Pomeroy.
Doct. Gideon Tiffany.
Elijah Williams.
Israel Houghton.

Samuel Woods.
Samuel Daniels.
Jesse Clark.
Joseph Brown.
Robert Gillmore.
Obadiah Hamilton.
Peter Rice.
Elisha Ellis.
Isaac Billings.
Josiah Ellis.
Timothy Ellis, Jr.
Ichabod Fisher.
William Gray.
Benjamin Hall, Jr.
Benjamin Osgood.
Nathaniel Hall.
Samuel Woods, Jr.
John Connolly.
Samuel Colhoun.
Ebenezer Cooke.
Daniel Snow.
Eliphalet Briggs, Jr.

CHAPTER IV.

KEENE— (Continued).

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

First Congregational Church— Second Congregational
Church — Unitarian Church — Baptist Church — St. James'
Church— Methodist Church— Roman Catholic Church.

The First Congregational Chubch.—

The first reference to the ecclesiastical history
of the town found on the old proprietors' records
is under date of September 30, L736.

At a proprietors' meeting held at Keene, then
known as the township of the Upper Ashuelot,
September 30, 1736, it was voted "that they
will build a Meeting-house at the upper township
on the Ashuelot, so called, 40 feet Long, 20 feet
stud, and 30 and 5 feet wide, at the south end
of the town street (to underpin, cover and

KEENE.

inclose the same, and lay down boards for the
lower floor), at the place appointed by the Gen-
eral Court's committee ; and that Messrs. Jere-
miah Hall, Samuel Daniels, Joseph Richardson,
Stephen Blake and Josiah Fisher be a com-
mittee to build or let the same ; and to see that
said work be completely performed by the 26th
day of June next."

The first pastor was the Rev. Jacob Bacon.
He was called to settle as the minister of the
new plantation May 5, 1 738, and was ordained
October 18th of the same year. The committee
who presented the call consisted of Jeremiah
Hall, David Foster, Isaac Clark, Josiah Fisher
and Ebenezer Nims.

The church was organized October 18, 1737,
and soon after David Foster and Josiah Fisher
were appointed deacons. Rev. Mr. Bacon was
dismissed in 1747.

The town was chartered in 1753, and at the
first meeting held under the new charter it was
voted to build a meeting-house of slabs for tem-
porary use, and in the following December it was
voted to build a meeting-house forty-five feet long
and thirty-five feet wide. This house was
erected on the common and used till the fall of
1786, when it was removed to the west side of
the common and rebuilt as the court-house of
Cheshire County.

The second house of worship was erected
in 1786, and was an enterprise of no small
magnitude for those early days. The pews were
bought in anticipation of its being built and
were generally paid for in cattle, which were
sold at great discount. The following items
are extracted from the records of the building
committee :

" To a journey in February, 1787, to Sutton, Frank-
lin and Boston, to purchase oil, glass and vane, £1
4s. Od.

"To a journey down with 27 head of cattel to
Wrentham, December, 1787; also, a journey to Provi-
dence to buy the glass for the rneeting-house ; and
expense of keeping said cattel, £5 3s. lOd.

" May, 1788. — To a journey to Providence after the
glass ; to carting glass from Providence to Wrentham ;
also, a journey from Providence to Boston, 19s. Id.

" Paid for cattel more than they sold for in cash,
£16 18s. M.

;' To cash to defray the expenses of Samuel Heaton

down to Wrentham after the glass for the meeting-
house, wagon and two horses, £1 18s. 4rf.

" Paid Mr. John Ward & Co., Providence, for glass,
£38 5s. 4d."

The pews sold for £941 5s. Raised by tax,
four hundred pounds.

The building committee consisted of Lieu-
tenant Benjamin Hall, Deacon Daniel Kings-
bury, Major Davis Howlet, Mr. Benjamin
Anher, Lieutenant Reuben Partridge, Mr. Abi-
jah Wilder and Mr. Thomas Baker.

The pews were sold at auction, as follows :

PEWS ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE.

£ s.

Daniel Xeweomb, Esq., No. 15 18 0

Abijah Wilder, No. 20 18 10

Daniel Newcomb, Esq., No. 17 18 0

Benjamin Hall, No. 18 18 10

James Wright, No. 62 17 0

Thomas Baker, Jr., No. 19 16 10

Nathan Blake, Jr., No. 61 16 10

Abel Blake, No. 57 15 10

Isaac Billings, No. 46 15 10

Josiah Richardson, No. 34 16 0

Aaron Ernes, No. 16 15 0

Colonel Timothy Ellis, No. 63 15 10

Thomas Baker, Esq., No. 14 15 0

Benjamin Hall, Esq., No. 47 14 0

Aaron Willson, No. 24 14 0

Israel Houghton and } ]^Q 25 14 0

Elisha Briggs, i

Alpheus Nims, No. 9 14 0

David Howlet, No. 21 14 0

Isaac Blake and
Joseph Blake,

Royal Blake, No. 60 14 0

Thomas Field, No. 26 15 0

Asa Dunbar, Esq., No. 35 14 0

Alexander Ralston, No. 33 14 0

John Swan, No. 59 13 10

Luther Ernes, No. 36 13 10

Jotham Metcalf, No. 28 13 10

Daniel Kingsbury, No. 56 13 10

Reuben Partridge, No. 31 12 10

John Houghton, No 30 12 0

Cornelius Sturtevant, No. 45 12 0

Elijah Dunbar, No. 10 12 0

Abraham Wheeler, Jr., No. 3 11 10

Eliphalet Briggs, No. 48 11 0

John P. Blake and j Nq 29 _ 10 1Q

Andrew Slyfield, J

David Nims, Jr., No. 8 10 10

William Woods, No. 11 11 10

Benjamin Archer, No. 51 10 0

Benjamin Hall, No. 49 10 0

, Eli Metcalf, No. 12 1<» 1"

No. 27 14 0

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

£ s.

Benjamin Balch, No. 50 10 0

Isaac Griswokl, No. 44 10 0

Daniel Newcomb, Esq., No. 1 10 10

Ebenezer Day, No. 55 10 0

Thaddeus Metcalf, No. 13 10 0

Ephraim Wright, No. 42 10 10

David Wilson, No. 22 10 10

Joshua Durant, No. 64 10 0

Eri Richardson, No. 23 10 0

John Dickson, No. 43 10 0

Samuel Bassett, No. 7 10 0

David Foster, No. 53 10 0

Asahel Blake, No. 32 10 0

Jesse Clark, No. 52 10 0

Hananiah Hall and) -^ . -_, -.^ ,.

Samuel Osgood, i

Josiah Willard, No. 6 10 0

Josiah Willard, No. 41 10 0

John Stiles, No. 4 10 10

Joseph Brown, No. 39 10 0

Bartholomew Dwinell and) x- r 1A A

,.,_., r No. 5 10 0

John Stdes, J

Daniel Wilson, No. 38 10 0

Dan (hiilil, No. 2 10 0

Simeon Clark, No. 37 12 10

Josiah Willard, No. 40 10 0

PEWS IN THE GALLERY.

Thomas Baker, Jr., No. 13 9 10

Stephen Chase, No. 16 8 10

Benjamin Kemp, No. 10 9 10

Timothy Balch and Ivr 14 _ ....
Ebenezer Kobbms, )

Elisha Briggs, No. 15 7 10

Eliakim Nims, No. 11..., 7 10

Daniel Newcomb, Esq., No. 8 7 0

Elisha Briggs, No. 12 6 10

Benjamin Willis, Jr., No. 20 6 15

Isaac Billings, No. 6 6 15

Elisha Briggs, No. 14 6 15

A.sa Ware and ) Nq 2g (. 1Q

Jonas Osgood, 1

Daniel Kingsbury, No. 19 6 05

Eliphalet Briggs, No. 21 6 0

Elisha Briggs, No. 7 5 10

Nathaniel French, No. 9 5 0

Millet Ellis, No. 22 4 10

Daniel Newcomb, Esq., No. 18 7 0

Flisha Briggs, No. 25 4 05

Abijah Wilder, No. 24 9 0

Reuben Partridge, No. 5 4 05

Thomas Field, No. 4 4 10

Alexander McDaniels, No. 2 4 05

Eliphalel Briggs, No. 8 \ 05

rimothy Balch, No. 1 5 0

The pews on the floor (sixty-three) sold for

seven hundred and eighty-nine pounds ; those
in the gallery (twenty-five) for sixty pounds ;
the whole number for eight hundred and forty-
nine pounds, — about three thousand dollars.

This church was remodeled in 1828 and sev-
eral times since.

Mr. Bacon's successor as pastor was Rev.
Ezra Carpenter, who was installed October 4,
1753, over the united church <>f Keene and
Swanzey. He remained about seven years.

At the separation of Keene from Swanzey the
Keene Church was organized with fourteen male
members, and June 11, 1761, Rev. Clement
Sumner was ordained as pastor. He officiated
about eleven years, and was succeeded, in 1777,
by Rev. Aaron Hall. He was ordained Feb-
ruary 18, 1778, the church at this time consist-
ing of seventy-seven members. Mr. Hall
officiated as pastor thirty-seven years. He died
August 12, 1814. During his ministry two
hundred and eleven members were received into
the church.

Rev. David Oliphant was the next pastor,
installed May 24, 1815. He remained about
three years and was succeeded by Rev. Z. S.
Barstow, D.D., who was ordained July 1, 181 S.
Dr. Barstow's pastorate covered a period of fifty
years. He resigned March 1, 1868. Rev. J.
A. Hamilton was his helper from February !>,
1861, till August 10, 1865, and Rev. J. A.
Leach from August 10, l<S(j(), till September
21, 1867.

Rev. William S. Karr, installed July 9, 1868,
left January 1, 1873.

Rev. Cyrus Richardson, from July 10, 1873,
till July 10, 1883.

The church at present (1885) has no settled
pastor.

( '< ).\< i i; i;< i a.tional Society x (Unitarian).
— This society was organized March 18, 1824,
by an association of sixty-nine men, under the
statutes of the State of New Hampshire. It
took the designation of " Keene Congregational
Society." Mr. George Tilden is now, and has
been for some years, the only survivor of that
original membership. Among the original

'The items for this sketch were very kindly furnished by
Rev. William Orne White.

KEENE.

members were Samuel Dinsmoor and Samuel
Dinsmoor, Jr. (each Governor of New Hamp-
shire), Thomas M. Edwards (late a member
of Congress), Salma Hale (member of Con-
gress) Silas Perry (the Revolutionary soldier),
John Elliot, Aaron Appleton, John Prentiss,
Francis Faulkner, James Wilson, Jr., William
Lamson, Sumner Wheeler and Benjamin F.
Adams ; and Phineas Handerson, in 1836, and
William L. Foster, in 1842, added their
names. Levi Chamberlain was a punctual
attendant, although his name is not on that
early list.

The time-honored deacons, Samuel Wood, Jr.,
and Adolphus Wright, are there, — the one serv-
ing upwards of twenty-nine and the other thirty-
five years, — fitly succeeded in office by John
Clark, who also served (until his death) nearly
twenty-seven years.

Add to such names among the departed, as
chronicled above, the sons of Francis Faulk-
ner, who, in a business career or at the bar,
achieved renown; or men like William P.
Abbott, of Nashua, who, thirty years ago,
joined the parish heart and hand ; and it be-
comes evident that its influence has left its
mark upon the community. And yet, without
the scores of earnest", faithful, industrious men
with their households, who have adorned a
more quiet career, the society could not have let
its light shine as it has.

Rev. William Orne White says : " I deemed
myself fortunate in succeeding, in 1851, such
ministers as Thomas Russell Sullivan and Abiel
Abbot Livermore, one of whom had given nine
and a half and the other thirteen and a half years
to the parish, and had left behind them the record
of earnest work, and that 'good name 'which
' is better than precious ointment.' '

The church edifice was enlarged by one-third
its space and remodeled in 1867—68.

Early in 1869, through the gift of one thou-
sand dollars by the late Charles Wilson, the
germ of the Invalids' Home was planted, which
by subsequent bequests of five thousand dollars
and upwards from the late Mrs. Rebecca H.
Cooke, and one thousand dollars from the late
John J. Allen, as well as through numerous sub-
scriptions and the co-operation of friends in

other parishes in Keene, has been enabled to
reach its present state of efficiency.

Nearly five thousand dollars were paid to-
wards the missionary efforts of the American
Unitarian Association by members of the
parish during the twenty-seven years of Mr.
White's ministry, besides contributions to
Freedmen's Schools, the New Hampshire Or-
phans' Home and other charities. Mr. White's
predecessor had been eminently faithful to this
department of parish exertion.

Mr. White recorded two hundred and thirty-
one baptisms, all but a very few being in Keene.
In Keene or its vicinity he officiated, during his
pastorate, at nearly five hundred burials.

It is proper to add that the Keene Athenaeum
(precursor of the Keene Public Library)
owed its origin largely to efforts of persons of
our own parish. Yet, in saying this, the cor-
dial co-operation — during the war and at other
times — of generous-hearted souls in all the
parishes, in the behalf of the soldiers, freed-
men, etc., cannot be forgotten.

Baptist Church.1 — Baptists from Middle-
borough, Mass., located in the east part of
Westmoreland, where they constituted a church
in 1771. This family spread into the west part
of Keene. Here a church of the same faith
was recognized by an ecclesiastical council on
the 9th day of September, 1816, consisting of
thirteen members. It was gathered under the
ministry of Rev. Charles Cummings. The
church was received into the Dublin Baptist
Association in October of that year. A small
meeting-house, with square pews and a gallery,
was built that autumn. It was situated in that
part of the town known as " Ash Swamp," and
dedicated December 25, 181 6.2 Worship was
continued here, at irregular periods, under many
discouragements, till 1838, when Baptist preach-

i By Rev. William H. Eaton, P.P.

2 This meeting-house was built mainly through the
agency of David Carpenter, whose son, Caleb Carpenter,
paid largely toward the removal of the debt on the new
house on Court Street. The frame of the old house still
exists, in part, in the dwelling-house on the corner of
Middle and Summer Streets, now owned by Mr. James
Donnelly. The bell is still preserved and is now used in
tin' new church.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ing was commenced in the village. The effort
was so successful that a brick meeting-house,
forty-five feet by sixty-eight and a half feet,
on Winter Street,1 was dedicated September
17, 1839. The interest in the village was
started and the house built under the efficient
labors of Rev. John Peacock. He baptized
forty-six during the year and a half of his
ministry. Rev. Mark Carpenter, late of Mil-
ford, was publicly recognized as pastor of the
church on the 22d of April, 1840, and dis-
missed on the 3d of October, 1844, having
baptized sixty into the fellowship of the church.
He was succeeded by Mr. Horace Richardson,
of Cornish, a recent graduate of Newton Theo-
logical Institution, who was ordained May 7,
1845. He was dismissed April 1, 1846. After
him Rev. Gilbert Robbins, late of Rumney,
took charge of the church, commencing his
labors in August of that year. He remained
here eleven years, tendering his resignation
in June, 1857. It was a time of sowing and
not of reaping, though he had the privilege in
one associational year of baptizing twenty-
two.

In 1853 a convenient two-story parsonage,
with a small barn, was built on the west side of
Court Street, about one-half mile from the
meeting-house. The lot measured sixty-six
tict front, with an average depth of about
one hundred and fifty-five feet. The land
and buildings cost sixteen hundred and fifty
dollars.

In October of 1857, Rev. Leonard Tracy be-
came the pastor, and in June of 1863 gave up
his charge, respected and beloved by all. In
the mean time he baptized twenty-six. In the
autumn of 1863 the attention of the people was
directed to Mr. William X. Clarke, of Caze-
novia, N. Y., a recent graduate of Hamilton
Theological Seminary, and he was ordained the
pastor January 14. 1864. tie remained here
five years and a half, in which time he baptized
twenty-two and gave a moral impulse to the
church. While he was here a new organ was

^he building committee for the house on Winter Street
were Levi Willard, William Stowits and Amasa Brown.
The house remains on its original location, though oc-
cupied for secular purposes

purchased, costing twelve hundred and fifty dol-
lars. He closed his labors here May 9, 1869.

He was succeeded bv Mr. Austin V. Tilton,
a graduate of Newton Theological Institution,
and a sou of Rev. J. D. Tilton, of Milford. He
was ordained September 30, 1869, and con-
tinued his labors here till May 5, 1872. He
" labored for direct spiritual fruit," and had the
satisfaction of adding to the church, by baptism,
twenty-five in less than three years of his
ministry.

On the 26th of May, LS72, Rev. William H.
Eaton, D.D., late of Nashua, was invited to be-
come pastor. After spending about two months
with the people he accepted the call. He was in-
stalled September 1st. The question of a new
house of worship had been under discussion for
sometime. After the settlement of Dr. Eaton
the question was soon revived. All felt that
extensive repairs must be made on the old
house, or a new house must be built. The lat-
ter plan was finally agreed upon with great
unanimity. A lot was purchased on the east
side of Court Street, known as the Abijah Wil-
der estate. It included a two-story dwelling-
house on the corner of Court and Vernon
Streets, which was set aside as a parsonage, while
the other was sold for five thousand two hun-
dred dollars. After disposing of some of the
land on the east side of the Wilder lot, the re-
mainder, with the dwelling-house, cost ten
thousand five hundred dollars.

( {round was broken for the new church on the
3d day of June, 1873, with appropriate reli-
gious services. The house was dedicated May
12, 1875. It is made of brick, and measures,
in the main body, fifty-nine by one hundred and
four feet. The recess is twenty-eight and a half
by fourteen feet. The spire rises to the height of
one hundred and sixty-seven feet from the
ground, surmounted by a gilded weather-vane
five feet high. The style of architecture is
Romauesque. The auditorium is in the second
story, and easily accommodates seven hundred
and fifty people. It is finished in ash and black
walnut. The orchestra is in the rear of the
pulpit. There is a small gallery over the front
vestibule j there are six beautiful memorial win-
dows, three on each side. The acoustic proper-

KEENE.

ties of the house are excellent. The rooms on
the first floor consist of chapel, vestry, parlor,
kitchen, pantry, toilet-room, etc. The whole
house is well-proportioned, substantially built,
conveniently arranged and tastefully decorated.
It cost, with furniture, exclusive of the land,
fifty-two thousand dollars.1 The building of
this house of worship was followed by great
financial depression in the community, which
imposed a very heavy debt upon the church and
society, which was borne with a commendable
degree of patience and fortitude. They paid
for all home expenses, on an average, about
seven thousand dollars a year, for twelve years,
and they now have the reward of having their
valuable church property nearly free of debt.
Since 1872 the numerical increase of the church
has been small, yet fully equal to any other
period of the same length, with one exception.
During Mr. Eaton's ministry, thus far, fifty-one
have been added by baptism and fifty-eight by
letter. Still, the diminution by deaths and re-
movals has been almost equal to the additions.
However, the church, through its entire history,
has gradually increased from the original thir-
teen, in September, 1816, to one hundred and
ninety -six, in March, 1885.

The Sabbath-school, comparatively, is large
and promising, consisting of eighteen teachers,
two hundred and eighty scholars, with an aver-
age attendance of about one hundred and thirty-
five. The library numbers eight hundred and
fifty volumes ; A. G. Sprague, superintendent.

St. James' Church.2 — Strictly speaking, the
history of St. James' Church, Keene? dates from
the year 1858.

Previous to this time, however, services had
been held from time to time, as opportunity
offered, by various visiting clergymen.

For instance, the Rev. Mr. Leonard, rector
of St. Paul's Church, Windsor, Vt., visited
Keene, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Dunham
and other parishioners, and held several services
in the village some time in the year 181(5.

1 The building committee for the new church on Court
Street were Reuben Stewart, Moses Ellis, Dauphin W.
Comstock, Joseph Foster and John Flynn. The architect
was S. S. Woodcock, Boston. Mass.

* By Rev. W. B. T. Smith

Soon after this visit the regular services of
the church were conducted for several weeks,
probably by the Rev. Mr. Leonard, assisted by
the Rev. Mr. Moss, of Newburyport, Mass., in
the " old court-house," then standing on the
site of what is now called Gerould's Block.

Among the citizens favoring this undertaking
were Elijah Dunbar, Esq., and Dr. Thomas
Edwards. Their services, however, soon ceased.

An occasion of marked interest was the fun-
eral of Hon. Ithamar Chase, father of the
late Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase.

The funeral service was held in the Congre-
gational house of worship, and was conducted
by the Rev. Dr. Strong, of Greenfield, Mass.,
August 11, 1817.

This is supposed to have been the first funeral
service ever conducted in Keene according to
the rites of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
It was largely attended, and is said to have
created a very favorable impression of the
church.

Bishop Griswold, of the Eastern Diocese, once
visited Keene, confirming Dr. and Mrs. Ed-
wards.

The Rev. Mr. Barber, rector of Union Church,
West Claremont, occasionally officiated in
Keene, and administered the sacrament of
Holy Baptism. From time to time, also, ser-
vices were held in town by the Rev. Nathaniel
Sprague.

The Rev. Dr. Sprague was a native of Keene,
and improved every opportunity of extending
the knowledge and influence of the church in
these parts.

Happily, a memorial window was placed iu
St. James' Church in 1864, when the building
was completed, which serves to keep alive the
memory of the many good words and works of
this faithful servant of Christ.

The Rev. Henrv N. Hudson, of the Diocese
of Massachusetts, also held a series of services
iu Keene in the summer of 1850.

These services were sustained bv a distin-
guished layman residing in Boston, — the late
Henry M. Parker, — and were at first held in the
town hall ; but this room proved to be too
large and expensive for the present undertaking,
and, after much delay and difficulty, Mr. Hud-

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

son succeeded in securing a more suitable room.
This was in the second story of an unoccupied
building belonging to the late Hon. James
Wilson.

This room Mr. Hudson himself took gnat
pleasure in putting in order, making the furni-
ture with his own hands, except the settee-,
which, greatly to his regret, he was obliged to
purchase, which, he observes, was the most un-
pleasant [tart of it all.

The room was large enough to accommodate
about seventy-live individuals. Services were
held here regularly through the summer and
early fall, on Sundays, morning and evening, and
on Saints' days.

These services were well attended and excited
considerable interest in church methods. Mr.
Hudson rented a small musical instrument, and
he remarks that by the good will and favor of
some worthy young people, he had "the benefit
of a competent choir and reasonably good
music."

Mr. Hudson's work was at length interrupted
by a call from Bishop Chase to supply his own

place as rector of Trinity Church, Claren t,

while he himself was absent doing episcopal
duty in the Diocese of New York.

There was no attempt to organize a parish in
Keene at this time, and when Mr. Hudson was
released from duty at Claremont it seemed to
him to be impracticable to resume this mission-
ary undertaking;. And although occasional
services had been held from time to time in
private houses, by different visiting clergymen,
nothing further was done looking to the estab-
lishment of the Episcopal Church till the sum-
mer of 1858.

On June 24th of that year (St. John Bap-
tists' Day) the Right Reverend Carlton Chase,
D.D., bishop of the diocese, visited Keene, held
evening service and preached.

He was encouraged, by the expressed wishes
of those he met, to attempt the permanent es-
tablishment of the services of the church.

Accordingly, he invited the Rev. Edward A.
Renouf, then assistant minister at St. Stephen's
Church, Boston, Mass., to visit KLeene and act
as his missionary for a few weeks. Mr. Renouf
at once accepted the invitation, and, with the

assistance of the Rev. Dr. Fuller, also of the
Diocese of Massachusetts, services were soon
begun, and, being well attended, were continued
regularly through September and October fol-
lowing.

At length Mr. Renouf resigned his position
at St. Stephen's, and directly after Easter, 1859,
undertook entire charge of the work. Mean-
while he purchased the estate where he now re-
sides (1885), and, in July of the same year, re-
moved thither with his family.

On May 13, 1859, the parish of St. James'
Church was duly organized and the usual
officers chosen.

May 1 5th certain friends of the church
bought of the Cheshire Railroad Company the
lot now occupied by the church edifice, for the
sum of thirteen hundred dollars, and deeded it
to the parish.

May 18th the Rev. E. A. Renouf was called
to be rector of St. James' Church, and at once
accepted the call.

May 25th this parish was admitted into
union with the Convention of the Diocese of
New Hampshire, and was represented in that
convention by Mr. H. Brownson, as lay dele-
gate.

On Sunday, August 7th, the Holy Com-
munion was celebrated in this parish for the
first time. On the Sunday following (August
4th) the Sunday-school was organized with
four teachers and sixteen pupils present.

In Oct* >ber, 1 86< >, plans f< >r a stone church, with
seating capacity of about live hundred, were sub-
mitted for approval by C. E. Parker, architect,
of Boston, Mass., at an estimated cost not to
exceed twelve thousand dollars, which, after
some modifications and no small difficulty and
delay, were at length agreed upon, and ground
was broken Ascension Day, May 14, 1863.
The corner-stone was laid by the bishop of
the diocese, assisted by the rector and several
clergymen of this and the Diocese of Vermont,
June 30, 18 63, at which time an able address
was delivered by the Rev. Isaac G. Hubbard,
D.D., rector of Grace Church, Manchester,
N. II. The building was completed and made
ready for use during the following summer.

The first service was held in it August 21,

KEENE.

1864 ; but the chancel furniture and other ap-
pointments were still incomplete, and there re-
mained an unliquidated debt of seven thousand
dollars, which delayed for several years the
service of consecration.

On April 17, 1868, the Rev. Mr. Renouf
tendered his resignation of the rectorship, to
take effect on the 31st of May following.

During Mr. Renouf's rectorship of nine
years there were of baptisms in St. James' par-
ish, 95; confirmations, 58; admitted to Holy
Communion, 96 ; marriages, 32 ; burials, 64.
The whole amount of offerings, exclusive of the
cost of the church building-lot, was seven thou-
sand nine hundred and fifty-nine dollars.

The Rev. George W. Brown was called to
be rector October 19, 1868. During his rec-
torship the church was decorated within, and,
after prolonged effort, the money needed to liq-
uidate the debt was raised, the late Hon. Wil-
liam P. Wheeler having pledged one thou-
sand dollars toward the whole amount needed,
provided the parish would raise the rest. Ac-
cordingly, the church was consecrated by Bishop
Niles, November 22, 1877.

Mr. Brown resigned the rectorship April 13,
1879.

May 9th of the same year the Rev. A. B.
Crawford was called to be rector, and resigned
April 9, 1882.

June 19, 1882, the Rev. Floyd W. Tomkins,
Jr., rector of St. Paul's Church, Minneapolis,
Minn., was called to be rector of St. James'
Church ; accepted, and entered upon his duties
as rector September 1, 1882. Mr. Tom-
kins resigned March 1, 1884, in order to accept
a call to Calvary Chapel, New York City.

September 15, 1884, the Rev. W. B. T.
Smith, rector of Union Church, West Clare-
mont, was called ; accepted, and entered upon
his duties as rector Sunday, November 23,
1884.

Grace Methodist Church was organized
in November, 1835, with thirty members.

The present church edifice was erected in
1 869 at a cost of forty thousand dollars.

Roman Catholic Church. — There is also
a Roman Catholic Church here, with Rev. J.
R. Power as pastor.

CHAPTER V.

KEENE— (Continued).
BY WILLIAM S. BRIGGS.

The Cemeteries — Gravestone Inscriptions — Historical
Notes — Reminiscences.

To guard properly, and care for the resting-
places of our dead is alike the dictate of affec-
tion, Christianity and our common humanity.
This is the duty first of friends and families ;
but these all die, while the towns, the State,
remain.

I find in the records of the proprietors of
the town of Keene that it was voted, February
23, 1762, that the neck of land where Isaac
Clark and Amos Foster were buried be appro-
priated and set apart for a burying-place for
the town. This lot, I think, must be the one
now belonging to the farm of Captain Robin-
son, at the lower end of Main Street. Captain
Ephraim Dorman, one of the original proprie-
tors of the town, living in Keene in 1738, died
here in 1795, and was buried in this place.
This burying-gronnd was probably used by the
town to bury their dead for more than thirty
years. The burying-ground on Washington
Street was not used, as I can learn, until about
1 795. Visit our beautiful new cemetery on Bea-
ver Street; look at the costly monuments in
granite and marble, the beautiful trees and flow-
ers, planted by the hand of affection ; ask that
mourner that is shedding tears above the new-
made grave, or the present owner of any of
the lots in this beautiful place, if they cotdd
believe any one that should tell them that in
less than one hundred years all these monuments
will be removed far from this place, the graves
all leveled and the grounds ploughed and
planted, and the bones of their dear ones go to
fertilize the soil, that a good crop of corn and
potatoes might be raised, — no one would believe
this story ; and he that was bold enough to tell
it would be looked upon as a false prophet, or
one that should be confined in an insane asylum
as a dangerous person. Yet this same thing
has been done in this very goodly town of
Keene. On that neck of land set apart by the

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

fathers, and at that time (17G2) the owners of
the town, these men, with their wives and chil-
dren, were buried ; costly monuments (for the
times) were erected, with their good deeds and
their virtues inscribed thereon ; for many years
their graves were strewn with flowers, and
tears were shed for the loved ones by their chil-
dren's children ; but can one of the descend-
ants of these patriots tell where the bones of
their ancestors now rest? Not one of them; for
their monuments have been removed, the ground
leveled, ploughed and planted, as any other part
of the farm, and their dust goes to enrich the
land, ('mild towns be made to suffer, as indi-
viduals, for wrong-doing, I don't know of any
penalty too great to be imposed on the town of
Keene for this great wrong. I remember more
than forty years ago hearing the old people
talking about the old burying-ground, and
saying that it was a disgrace not to protect it ;
but nothing was done until the annual town-
meeting March 12, 1844, when William Lam-
son (a man who, while living, always protested
against the desecration of these graves) made
the following communication to the meeting :

"Mr. Edwards (Thos. M. Edwards, moderator): I
intended to request the selectmen to insert in the
warrant for tins meeting, 'To see what the town will
do with the old burial-ground on the farm now owned
by Sam'l Robinson, Esq.' There is a bottom of a
stone wall that once enclosed it. but in such a condi-
tion that cattle walk over it; many of the grave-
stones have been broken otf, but few are now stand-
ing ; one of these is that of Capt. Dorman, whose
life is the history of our town. I now present this,
hoping that the town will choose a committee to ex-
amine into its situation, and make a report at our
next town-meeting. I would recommend that the
committee lie elected from our citizens advanced in
life, and who may know something of the history of
the town."

A committee was appointed at this meeting
consisting of Calvin Chapman, Salma Hale
and Aaron Hall. At the annual town-meeting
held March 11, 184o, the subjeel was referred
to the same committee, who were authorized, if
they deemed it expedient, to fence the old bury-
ing-ground at the expense of the town. No-
thins was done that year. At the annual town-
meeting March 11, 1846, it was voted that the
selectmen be directed to cause a proper fence to

be constructed around the old burying-ground
near Mr. Robinson's, at the south end of Main
Street, " provided Mr. Robinson consents, and
the expense shall not exceed seventy-five dol-
lars." Nothing was ever done — why, I know
not ; but I think it was ascertained that the
town had lost their rights in the " bones of the
original owners." After this the grave-stones
that could stand alone were taken up and set
against the fence; and those that knew the
graves know them no more. A few years ago
Mr. Stephen Barker, then having the care of
the new cemetery, to save the few remaining
monuments (thirteen in number) caused them to
be removed to the new cemetery and set up in
good order just north of the receiving-tomb.
On one of these monuments you may read,
" Here lies the Body of Elizabeth, eldest
daughter of the Rev. ('lenient and Mrs. Eliza-
beth Sumner, who departed this life Feb. 20th,
A.D. 17()7." Now I propose to add to this
inscription — " I once lived, I died and was bur-
ied, but where my bones are now crumbling
into dust no mortal man can tell." Now who
was this Captain Ephraim Dorman, whose life
Mr. Lamson said was the history of the town ?
I have searched the records of the proprietors
of the town of Keene, and find that he was
born in 1710 and lived in Keene in 1738 ; in
1740 the proprietors voted him and thirty-eight
others ten acres of upland for hazarding their
lives and estate by living here to bring forward
the settling of the place.

The following is an extract from the " An-
nals of Keene," published in 1826 :

"Early in the morning of the 23d of April, 1746,
Ephraim Dorman left the fort in search for his cow.
He went northwardly along the horders of what was
then a hideous and almost impervious swamp, lying
east of the fort, until he arrived near the place where
the turnpike now is. Looking into the swamp he
perceived several Indians lurking in the hushes. . He
immediately gave the alarm by crying 'Indians! In-
dians!' and ran towards the fort. Two who were
concealed in the bushes between him and the fort
sprang forward, aimed their pistols at him and fired,
luil neither hit him. They then, throwing away their
arms, advanced towards him ; one he knocked down
by a blow, which deprived him of his senses; the
other he seized, and, being a strongman and able
wrestler, tried his strength and skill in his favorite

KEENE.

mode of ' trip and twitch.' He tore his antagonist's
hlanket from his shoulders, leaving him nearly naked.
He then seized him by the arms and body, but as he
was painted and greased, he slipped from his grasp.
After a short struggle Dorman quitted him, ran
towards the fort and reached it in safety."

Ephraiin Dorman was one of the original
proprietors to call the first legal town-meeting
in Keene. At this meeting, held on the first
Wednesday of May, 1753, it was "Voted that
the sum of eight dollars be paid to Ephraim
Dorman for his services in going to Portsmouth
on business relating to the charter. Voted to
Benjamin Bellows one hundred and twenty-two
Spanish milled dollars for his services and ex-
penses in getting the charter of Keene. Voted
to raise one hundred and twenty-two pounds,
old tenor, for the use of preaching the present
year. Chose Ephraim Dorman one of the
assessors of the town."

At the second meeting Dorman was one of a
committee to see that the proprietors' title to
lauds in the township be lawful and good ; if
so, to give them liberty to have them recorded
in the proprietors' " Book of Records." Feb-
ruary 23, 17G2, he wras on a committee to draw
lots for a division of lauds among the proprie-
tors of the town. March 7, 1769, he was
moderator in town-meeting. In 1773 he was
captain of the foot company of Keene, number-
ing one hundred and fortv-six men : was also
one of the first to start a company for the seat
of war after the fight at Lexington, April 19,
1775.

Now does not this man deserve a monument
of marble or bronze, with this inscription on it :
" He gave his property, his life, his all, to
Keene ?" Captain Ephraim Dorman died in
Keene May 7, 1795, aged eighty-five. To show
the contrast in patriotism one hundred years
ago, as compared with the present time, read
the following : " At a town-meeting held in
Keene Sept., 1773, voted to give Dea. David
Foster liberty to lay out three acres of land on
the West Beach Hill, in the common land, in
such place as he may choose, in recompense for
his services done for the 'proprietary in eight
years past."

The following are the inscriptions copied
from the thirteen old slate monuments brought

from the old burying-ground, and now in the
new cemetery. I have numbered them to keep
them distinct :

No. 1. — Elizabeth Sumner.

No. 2. — William Sumner.

No. 3. — In memory of Abner, son of Mr. Nathan
Blake, who died July 7th, 1766, in the 6th year of his
age.

No. 4. — Here lie3 the body of Elizabeth, eldest
daughter of the Revd. Clement and Mrs. Elizabeth
Sumner, who departed this life Feb. 26th, A.D. 1767,
aged 7 years anel 4 days.

" In the midst of life we are in death.
0 happy child, how soon thy race was run !
Now free from anxious care and sorrow,
While with thy Saviour and forever blest."

No. 5. — In memory of ye Widow Betsey Fair-
banks, ye wife of Capt. Nathan Fairbanks ; she deed.
Feb. ye 26th, 1772, in ye 69th year of her age.

No. 6. — Here lies the body of William, eldest
son of the Rev. Clement anel Mrs. Elizabeth Sumner,
who died December 13th, 1765, the day of his birth.
''Time how short, eternity how long !"

No. 7. — " In memory of Mrs. Zipporah, wife of Mr.
Ezra Harvey, who deed. Oct. ye 30th, 1778, in ye 27th
year of her age.

No. 8. — In memory of Zipporah, daughter of Mr.
Ezra Harvey and Elizabeth his wife; she elied Janu-
uary 21st, 1778, aged 2 years 7 mo. 21 dayes.

No. 9. — In memory of Daviel Baker, son of

Thomas Baker, Esq., and Mrs. Sarah, his wife, who

died January ye 27th, 1789, in ye 20th year of his

age.

" Time was I stood where thou dost now,

And viewed the dead as thou dost me ;

Ere long thou'lt lie as low as I,

And others stand and look on thee."

No. 10. — Capt. Ephraim Dorman, died May 7th,
1795, aged 85. Capt. Dorman was one of the first
settlers and an original proprietor of the town of
Keene.

No. 11. — Mrs. Hepzibah Dorman.

No. 12. — In memory of 'Mrs. Abigail, wife of
Genl. James Reed, who departed this life August
27th, 1791, in the 68th year of her age.
" There's nothing here but who as nothing weighs.

The more our joy the more we know it's vain ;

Lose then from earth the grasp of fond desire,

Weigh anchor anel some happier clime explore."

Mrs. Abigail Reed.

No. 13. — Memento Mori. This stone is erected
to perpetuate the memory of Madam Ruth Whitney,
who departed this life in the 72d year of her age.
She was successively married to the Revel. David
Stearns, of Luningburg, and the Revd. Aaron Whit-
ney, of Petersham, both of whom she survived. For
diligence, patience, piety and knowledge, she was

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

eminently distinguished. As this stone cannot tell
all her virtues, sutlice to say that as a wife, she was
prudent and faithful; as a mother, discreet and ten-
der ; as a neighbor, friendly and charitable; as a

Christian, intelligent and exemplary. A life thus
spent terminated with composure on the first of No-
vember, 1788.

"The righteous shall be had in everlasting remem-
brance."

The old burying-ground on Washington
Street has been used as a place for burying- the
dead since the year 1788. I remember almost

every one that has been interred here in the last
fifty years, and the number is between two and

■

three thousand. As I first remember it, it was
surrounded on all sides with a stone wall, the
same kind that may be found to-day e>n almost
all our hill farms. There was a small building
in the back part of the yard, painted black, to
keep the tools in for digging the graves, also
for storing the biers. There were two biers,
one for adults and one for children. At a
funeral the coffin was placed on the bier, and a
black cloth, called a pall, spread over it. Eight
persons were selected, called the pall-bearers,
four to carry the body, the other four to walk
on before to assist when necessary, the mourn-
ers and friends following behind on foot. Thus
the funeral procession moved along until it
reached the grave, when the last ceremony was
performed, the church bell tolling all the while.
In those days the bell was also tolled in the
morning of the day of the funeral as a notice
to the people of the town that a funeral was to
take place on that day. Alter striking the bell
a few times in the morning of the day of the
funeral, the age aud sex was struck, — if for a
male, one blow ; if for a female, two ; then the
number of blows corresponding to the number
of years the person had lived. So the bell
tolled it- story and those hearing its sound
could tell who was to be buried on that day.

About 1830 the tombs on the west side of the
yard were built ; those on the south some years
later. These tombs were used for manv vcars,
but it was always a very unpleasant duty to
open them ; coffins would soon decay and fall
in pieces, and many times in the spring of the
year I have known the .-now to melt and run
in at the door and cause the bodies to floai

around. There are probably at this time the
remains of about one hundred bodies in these
tombs. These receptacles for the dead are now
I mi seldom used. I will begin on the right-
hand side as we go in through the gate, and
give the names of the owners and inscriptions
on their tombs :

No. 1. — riiinehas Fisk.

No. 2. — William Lamson.

No. 3. — Thos. Edward and John Hatch.

No. 4.— John Elliot.

No. 5. — David Carpenter.

No. 6. — Noah Cooke.

No. 7. — F. Faulkner and R. Montague.

No. 8.— Aaron Hall.

No. 9. — C. Chapman, D. Heaton, J. Towns.

No. 10.— J. Wright, E. Wright, E. Wright (2d).

On the left-hand side :

No. 1. — Samuel Dinsmoor.

No. 2. — James Wilson.

No. 3.— John H. Fuller. John H. Fuller died
Fel). 24, 1869, aged 77 yrs. and 4 mos. Pamelia, wife
of John H. Fuller and daughter of Kev. E. Conant,
died July 27, 1829, aged 30. Foster A., their infant
son, 1829. Sarah A., their daughter, Decemher 25,
1838, aged 19. James G., their son, Jan. 25, 1853,
aged 27. In memory of Lucius D. Pierce, Attorney
at Law, Winchendon, Mass., died May 8, 1858, aged
38. Fred K. Bartlett, Attorney at Law at St. Croix
Falls, Wis., died Dec. 1, 1858, aged 39, hushands of
Lucy and Sophia, daughters of John H. Fuller.

No. 4. — Charles G. Adams.

No. 5. — Joseph Dorr and Ormand Dutton.

No. 6.— Eli Metcalf, died August 3, 1835, aged 85.
Elizabeth Metcalf, died Feb. 13, 1842, aged 80. They
gave th rir whole property in charity.

No. 7. — S. Hastings, L. B. Page, A. Dodge.

No. 8. — Ahel Blake and Nathan Dana.

In May, 1858, just before the centennial cel-
ebration came off, the tombs, being in rather a
dilapidated condition, through the efforts of
Rev. Z. S. Barstow and others, were put in
good condition and whitewashed, so as to appear
decent on that occasion. I think nothing has
been done to them since. In 1847 the town
voted to build a new fence around the yard; so
the old wall was removed and the present fence
put up ; the old black hearse-house has since
been taken away.

In 1855 the town purchased of Thomas M.
Edwards what was then called the old muster-
field, lor the new cemetery on Beaver Street,

KEENE.

and many of the remains have been removed
from the old grounds to the new, as the old
yard was nearly full. The writer at the time
the land for the new cemetery was bought was
one of the selectmen of the town, and, with a
few, urged the necessity of purchasing more
land, — that is, going as far as Beach Hill, — but
the very wise men told us that this lot would
answer for fifty years at least.

On one of the first monuments we see in going
into this old cemetery we read, " To preserve
from oblivion the memory of Wm. M. Pierce."
Now it was from this old grave-stone that I
selected my text, and by copying the inscrip-
tions on all of the monuments, will do my share
towards preserving them. I will let each stone
tell its own story, and should there be among
your readers those that find the name of a dear
relative or friend among this long list, I am
confident they will do what they can towards
keeping the old burying-ground on Washing-
ton Street sacred. Let it be a pleasant place
for us to visit while living, and a safe place for
our bones when dead. When this last shall
take place, we will simply leave this injunction
to body-snatchers and gossips : " Let our dead
alone — resurrecting neither our bodies nor our
faults." I have arranged the list alphabeti-
cally, also giving the oldest date first in each
case :

No. 1. — In memory of Lt. Daniel Adams, who died
Oct. 27th, 1813, aged 59 yrs.

No. 2.— Children of B. F. and L. E. Adams : Mary
Jane, died Feb. 18, 1834, aged 2 yrs. ; Julie Ann,
died July 1, 1837, aged 1 yr. ; Frank Benjamin, died
Dec. 5, 1842, aged 4.V yrs.

No. 3. — Abigail Adams, died Aug. 4, 1841, aged 72
yrs.

No. 4.— Elijah Adams, died Dec. 31, 1862, aged 76
years.

No. 5. — Amanda Adams, wife of Elijah Adams,
died July 25, 1852, aged 66 years.

No. 6. — Hannah T. Fowler Adams, wife of Levi M.
Adams, died Aug. 25, 1850, aged 27.

No. 7. — D. Adams (marble monument).

No. 8.— Daniel Adams, M.D., died June 9, 1864,
aged 90 yrs. 8 mos. 10 days.

No. 9. — Nancy Adams, wife of Dr. Daniel Adams,
died May 14, 1851, aged 70 yrs. 8 mos. 15 days.

No. 10. — Edward Knight Aldrich, son of Dunbar
Aldrich, died March 27, 1831, aged 1 yr. 8 mos.

No. 11. — Abbott (marker).

No. 12. — Mary Ann Abbott, daughter of Daniel

and Polly Abbott, died Sept. 20, 1831, aged 6 years 20

days.

" The fairest flower soon fades away."

No. 13. — Frank Fisk Albee, son of John J. and
Harriet M. Albee, died Aug. 13, 1854, aged 4 mos. and
22 days.

No. 14. — Ella Maria, daughter of John J. and
Harriet M. Albee, died Oct. 14, 1855, aged 3 weeks.

No. 15. — Harriet Fisk Albee, wife of John J. Albee,
died July 23, 1858, aged 34 years.

No. 16.— Capt. Eliphalet Briggs, died Oct. 11, 1776,
aged 42 yrs.

No. 17.— Mary Cobb, wife of Capt. Eliphalet
Briggs, died June 9, 1806, aged 69 yrs.

No. 18.— Eliphalet Briggs, died March 23, 1827,
aged 62 yrs.

No. 19. — Elizabeth Briggs, wife of Eliphalet
Briggs, died March 23, 1819, aged 49 yrs.

"Virtue alone is happiness below."

No. 20. — Polly Briggs, died July, 1795, aged 3 yrs. ;
Sally Briggs, died July, 1795, aged 9 mos. ; daughters
of Eliphalet and Elizabeth Briggs.

No. 21. — Eliza S., daughter of Eliphalet and Emma
Briggs, died Aug. 2, 1839, aged 14 yrs.

No. 22. — Briggs (granite monument).

No. 23.— Eliphalet Briggs, ob. June 13, 1853, aged
65 yrs.

No. 24.— Lucy Briggs, ob. Dec. 19, 1845, aged 57
yrs.

No. 25.— Sarah W. Briggs, ob. July 10, 1873, aged
43 yrs.

No. 26. — Nancy A. Briggs, wife of William S.
Briggs, died Feb. 14, 1868, aged 46 yrs.

No. 27. — Daniel Adams Briggs, born Feb. 21, 1847,
died May 26, 1847.

No. 28.— Ellen Briggs, daughter of L. H. and E.
H. Briggs.

No. 29. — Mary A., wife of Joseph W. Briggs, and
daughter of Josiah Colony, born Sept. 14, 1825, died
April 11, 1859.

No. 30.— Wilder Briggs, died March 15, 1827, aged
34 yrs. Charles S., son of W. and Sally Briggs, died
May 20, 1827, aged 4 mos. Sally Briggs, wife of
Wilder Briggs, died May 20, 1851, aged 66 yrs.

No. 31. — Louisa Briggs, 1788 (granite marker).

No. 32.— Elijah Blake, died April 3, 1791, aged 7
mos.

No. 33.— Parley Blake, died August 29, 1797, aged
6 weeks and 4 days.

" And these babes must pay their due,
Sure riper years must pay it too."

No. 34.— Mrs. Sally E., wife of Capt. Abel Blake,
who died July 16, 1803, aged 40 yrs.

" Death is a debt to nature due,
Which I have paid, and so must you."

No. 35. — In memory of Mrs. Elizabeth, wife of

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Mr. Nathan Blake, who died July 19, 1804, aged 83
years.

" Let me not forgotten lie,
Lest you forget that you must die."

No. 36.— Mr. Nathan Blake, died August 4, 1811,
in the 100th year of his age.

No. 37.— Ruel C, son of Ruel and Betsey Blake,
died Feb. 5, 1818, aged 11 mos. and 23 days.

No. 38. — Mary Ann, daughter of Bufua and Betsey
Blake, died Oct. 26, 1838, aged 16 yrs. and 4 mos.

No. 39. — Elizabeth C, daughter of Ruel and Betsey
Blake, died Nov. 13, 1838, aged 18 yrs. and 1 mo.

No. 40. — Sarah R., daughter of Ruel and Betsey
Blake, died March 20, 1834, aged 7 yrs. and 8 mos.

No. 41. — Stephen A., son of Ruel and Betsey
Blake, died Oct. 31, 1835, aged 6 yrs. and 10 mos.

No. 42. — James, son of James and Ruth Buffum,
died May 27, 1837, aged 6 yrs. and 5 mos.

No. 43. — Charles, son of James and Ruth Buffum,
died June 25, 1837, aged 1 yr. and 1 mo.

No. 44. — Susan, daughter of James and Ruth Buf-
fum, died March 3, 1840, aged 6 weeks.

No. 45.— Mary B. Buffum, died Aug., 1869, aged 47
yrs.

No. 46. — Ruth Bliss, wife of James Buffum, died
Nov. 23, 1853, aged 51 years.

In this old buiying-ground on Washington
Street have been buried many of our friends
that we like to keep in remembrance ; and
amonj; them the name of one who, while in life,
said the last words at the grave of more of the
dead lying here than any man now living — the
Rev. Dr. Z. S. Barstow, who for fifty years was
the pastor of the old Congregational Church.
The inscription on his tombstone tells the whole
story better than I could do it. Also may be
found the name of Deacon Elijah Carter, one of
Dr. Barstow's good deacons; also of the Hon.
Ith'r Chase, the father (I have been told) of the
late Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. All, I
think (that ever knew her), will agree with me
in saying that the line on the monument of
Mi>s Eliza Carter Mas strictly true. Although
she had passed her three-score years and ten,
" She was always young." The names of Hon.
Levi Chamberlain, the two Dinsmoors (Samuel
and Samuel, Jr.), Lieutenant Charles B. Dan-
iels, who gave his life for his country, Miss
( latherine Eiske, the founder of Keene Female
Seminary, and many other names that we have
known and respected will be found in this
number. Also the name of Miss Lydie Beals,

aged one hundred and two years, the oldest in
this burying-ground.

No. 47. — Thomas Baker, died July 15, 1806, aged

76.

" No more my friends, don't mourn for me,
I'm gone into eternity.
Make sure of Christ while life remains,
And death will be eternal gain."

No. 48. — Sarah Baker, wife of Thomas Baker, died
April 24, 1807, aged 7."..

No. 49.— Benjamin F. Brown, died May 28, 1851,
aged 43.

No. 50. — Benjamin F. Brown, adopted son of B. F.
and C. Brown, died August 7, 1839, aged 4 years.

No. 51. — Sarah Brown, died January 25, 1843, aged
34.

No 52. — Dea. Amasa Brown, died March 22, 1843,
aged 73.

No. 53. — Lucy ('., daughter of Wm. and Ann W.
Brown, died March 20, 1844, aged 7 years.

No. 54. — Ann W. Fiske, wife of William Brown,
died July 24, 1854, aged 55.

No. 55. — Eunice Brown, died Aug. 7, 1847, aged 39.

No. 56. — In memory of Amasa Brown, who died
April 13, 1847, aged 80 years.

No. 57. — In memory of Hannah, wife of Amasa
Brown, who died January 4, 1847, aged 70 years.

No. 58.— Dea. Lebanon Brown, died July 21, 1846,
aged 35.

No. 59. — Polly Brown, died Aug. 7, 1856, aged 64.

No. 60.— Mrs. Susan Brown, died May 22, 1857,
aged 61.

No. 61. — James, son of William and AnnaBlacka-
dore, died Aug. 15, 1817, aged 2 years and 3 months.

"Frail as the flower that blossoms but to die."

No. 62. — Sally Bond, daughter of John G. and
Sally Bond, who died Sept., 1809, aged 7 months.

No. 63.— Mrs. Lydie Beals, died Feb. 13, 1815, aged
102.

No. 64. — Charles Barnhart, died June 7, 1829, aged
32.

No. 65.— David Barker, died Aug. 7, 1829, aged 33.

No. 66. — David S. Barker, died at Havana, Cuba,
.June 24, 1843, aged 21.

No. 67. — Miss Hannah, daughter of Mr. Aaron
and Mrs. Sarah Blanchard, died Nov. 25, 1832, in her
31st year.

No. 68. — James, son of Nathan and Harriet Bassett,
died July 1, 1833, aged 8 years and 9 months.

No. 69.— Samuel Bassett, died Nov. 8, 1834, aged
81.

No. 70. — Martha, wife of Samuel Bassett, died
June 19, 1842, aged 86.

No. 71. — Jemima C, wife of Geo. A. Balch, died
Sept. 2, 1850, aged 4-").

No. 72.— (ieorge W., son of Geo. A. and Jemima
Balch, died April 13, 1848, aged 15 years

KEENE.

No. 73— Artemas A. Boyden, died April 30, 1844,
aged 23.

No. 74. — Emily C, daughter of John and Celecta
H. Bowker, born Jan. 12, 1842, died Sept. 26, 1849.

" Beautiful, lovely,
She was but given,
A fair bud on earth
To bloom in Heaven."

No. 75. — Ellen C, daughter of John and Celecta
H. Bowker, born Feb. 9, 1851, died Dec. 30, 1853.
" So fades the lovely blooming flower."

No. 76.— Sarah Abbie Bridgmau, died July 12,
1850, aged 2 years and 7 months.

No. 77. — Frank, son of Edward and Sarah E. Bow-
tell, died March 25, 1852, aged 1 year and 4 months.

No. 78. — George Burrell, died Dec. 24, 1853, aged
34.

No. 79. — Mary Ann Pitchard, wife of C. A. Brooks,
died Dec. 4, 1854, aged 33.

No. 80. — Lovey Ann, wife of Courtney Bingham,
died April 16, 1871, aged 69.

" Asleep in Jesus."

No. 81.— Rev. Zedekiah S. Barstow, D.D., for fifty
years pastor of the First Congregational Church in
Keene, ordained July 1, 1818, resigned his pastorate
July 1, 1868, died March 1, 1873, aged 82 years and 5
months.

" I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith ; henceforth there is
laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day.".

Elizabeth Fay Barstow, for fifty-one years the
wife of Rev. Z. S. Barstow, died September 15, 1869,
aged 77 years.

" She opened her mouth with wisdom and in her
tongue was the law of kindness. Her children rise
up and call her blessed, her husband also, and be
prai-eth her, and let her own words praise her."

Timothy Dwight, eldest son of Rev. Z. S. and

Elizabeth F. Barstow, died Dec. 22, 1"820, aged 5

months.

Elizabeth Whitney, only daughter of Rev. Z. S.

and Elizabeth F. Barstow, died Jan. 3, 1832, aged 7

years and 4 months.

No. 82. — Z. S. B. (marble marker).

No. 83.— E. F. B. (marble marker).

No. 84. — James Crossfield, died Feb. 25, 1853, aged

75.

" Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."

No. 85. — Hannah, wife of James Crossfield, died
May 18, 1809, in the 58th year of her age.

No. 86. — James Crossfield, died June 21, 1811, in
the 60th year of of his age.

No. 87. — Roxana, wife of James Crossfield, died
May 20, 1856, aged 64.

"There is rest in Heaven."

No. 88.— Emily J., daughter of K. and R. G.
Crossfield, died April 29, 1854, aged 19 years and 6
months.

No. 89. — Lestina, wife of Samuel Crossfield, died
April 2, 1857, aged 31.

No. 90. — Here lies the body of Mrs. Clarinda, wife
of Mr. Daniel Chapman, and daughter of Mr. Aden
Holbrook, who died Dec. 6, 1812, aged 29.

No. 91. — Calvin Chapman, born July 28, 1776, died
"Aug. 3, 1855.

No. 92. — Sarah Nims, wife of Calvin Chapman,
born May 9, 1777, died Feb. 22, 1834.

No. 93. — Calvin Chapman, Jr., born Jan. 11, 1803,
died Oct. 26, 1872.

No. 94.— David W. Chapman, died March 31, 1852,
aged 45.

" Tread lightly where thy father sleeps,
Within his cold and narrow bed,
For one his bridal vigil keeps,

Above the wept and sainted dead.
Tread lightly by his narrow tomb,
And o'er it plant the gentle flowers,
In a far brighter land than ours."

No. 95. — Rebecca, wife of David W. Chapman,
died Aug. 9, 1856, aged 43.

No. 96. — George, son of David W. and Rebecca
Chapman, died March 25, 1838, aged 2.

No. 97. — Wan-en, son of David W. and Rebecca
Chapman, died June 17, 1851, aged 12.

No. 98. — Sophronia S., wife of King B. Chapman,
died Nov. 18, 1849, aged 29.

No. 99. — Mary Ann, daughter of King B. and
Sophronia S. Chapman, died Aug. 4, 1849, aged 4
years.

No. 100. — Jonathan C. Carpenter, died Sept. 24,
1815, aged 2 years 8 months and 8 days.

No. 101.— Mira H. Willard. wife of Caleb Carpen-
ter, died March 12, 1857, aged 49.

No. 102.— David W., died Sept. 18, 1832, aged 2
years and 10 months ; Julia E., died Jan. 23, 1843,
aged 3 years and 11 months ; children of Caleb and
Mira H. Carpenter.

No. 103.— The Hon. Ith'r Chase, died Aug. 8, 1817,
aged 55.

" And now, Lord, what is my hope —
Truly my hope is ever in thee."

No. 104. — Eliza Carter, born in Dublin March 5,
1792, died in Keene Dec. 7, 1864.

"She was always young."

No. 105. — In memory of Charles Carter, died Oct.
20, 1817, aged 29.

" There is rest in Heaven."
(Masonic emblem.)

No. 106. — The grave of Dea. Elijah Carter, who
died Feb. 2, 1835, aged 71 years.
" Go, happy spirit, seek that blissful land,
Where ransomed sinners join the glorious band

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Of those who fought for truth, blest spirit, go,
And perfect all the good begun below."

No. 107. — Mary, wife of R. Carter, died Nov. 16,
1839, aged 28.

No. 108. — Benaiah Cooke, died Aug. 8, 1852, aged
52.

No. 109.'— Josiah Cooke, died Sept. 11,1834, aged 2
years.

No. 110.— Mary Eliza Cooke, died Aug. 17, 1837,
aged 3 years.

No. 111.— George Cooke, died Feb. 6, 183S, aged 9
mouths.

No. 112. — Frederick Cooke, died Aug. 9, 1842, aged

14 months.

No. 113.— Mary R. Cooke, died Jan. 7, 1855, aged

15 years and 10 months.

No. 114.— Harriet W. Cady, died Oct, 9, 1841, aged
43.

No. 115. — Rev. Reuben Collins, of the M. E. church,
died Dec. 24, 1842, aged 32.

No. 116.— Comfort Conner, died May 14, 1S26, aged
37.

No. 117. — My husband, John S. Currier, died July
31, 1844, aged 32.

No. 118. — Coolidge (granite monument).

No. 119.— Henry Coolidge, obt. 1843, aged 55.

No. 120.— Caroline C. Coolidge, obt. 1846, aged 33.

No. 121. — Lawson Coolidge, obt. 1849, aged 41.

No. 122.— George H. Coolidge, born Feb. 15, 1811,
died Jan. 26, 1868.

No. 123.— Hannah Taylor, wife of Josiah Colony,
died June 30, 1846, aged 51.

" The memory of the departed is endeared as a de-
voted wife, a kind and affectionate parent, a regardful
neighbor. A calm and serene death followed a quiet
and contented lite."

No. 124. — Harry, son of Henry and Mary Colony,
died Sept. 12, 1855, aged 10 months and 26 days.

No. 12"). — George R., son of Willard and Priscilla
Clark, died Aug. 18, 1847, aged 24.

" No pain nor grief, no anxious fear,

Invades thy bounds ; no mortal woes
Can reach the peaceful sleep here,
While angels watch its soft repose."

No. 126.— Ebenezer Clark, died Aug. 1, 1848, aged
77 ; Eunice, Ids wife, died April 14, 1865, aged 87.

No. L27.— Sands Caswell, died Nov. 10, 1851, aged
29.

Nd. 128 — Mrs. Nancy Crandell, daughter of Wil-
liam Esty, died March 2">. 1852, aged 60.

No. 129. — .Jesse Corbett, died Aug., 1866, aged
7.1.

\o. 130.— Betsy Twitchell, wife of David Carter,
died Jan. 2i». 1853, aged 80.

No. 131.— Levi Chamberlain, died Aug. 31,1868,
aged 80 years.

" How calm he meets the friendly shore
Who lived adverse to sin '."

No. 132. — Harriet A. Goodhue, the dearly beloved

wife of Levi Chamberlain, died June 26, 1868, aged

67.

" The guileless soul, the calm, sweet trust,

Shall have a large reward."

No. 133— Elijah Dunbar, Esq., died May 18, 1847,
aged 87.

No. 134. — Mary R., wife of Elijah Dunbar, died
Nov. 29, 1838, aged 70.

No. 135. — Polly, daughter of Elijah and Mary
Dunbar, died May 25, 1795, aged 4 years; Laura
Elizabeth, daughter of Elijah and Mary Dunbar,
died Jan 11, 1810, aged three years.

No. 136.— Mary Ann Dunbar, died June 2, 1820,
aged 20.

No. 137.— Mrs. Hannah Dunn, died Oct. 8, 1828,
aged 84.

" The sweet remembrance of the just,
Shall flourish when they sleep in dust."

No. 138. — Asa Duren, died April 5, 1871, aged
69.

No. 139. — Maria V. Wood, wife of Asa Duren,
died May 18, 1854, aged 64.

No. 140. — Augustus, son of Asa and Maria Duren,
died Nov. 5, 1829, aged 7 months and 12 days.

No. 141.— Cynthia Duren, died April 22, 1861,
aged 61.

No. 142. — Dinsmoor (marble monument).

Samuel Dinsmoor, born July 1, 1766, died March
15, 1835, aged 68; Mary Boyd, wife of Samuel Dins-
moor, and daughter of Gen. George Reed, of London-
derry, died June 3, 1834, aged 64; Mary Eliza,
daughter of Samuel and Mary Boyd Dinsmoor, and
wife of Robert Means, of Amherst, born Dec. 2, 1800,
died August 16, 1829, aged 28; Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr.,
born May 8, 17!i7, died Feb. 24, 1869, aged 69; Anna
Elizabeth, wife of Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr., and daugh-
ter of Hon. William Jarvis, of Weathersfield, Vt.,
born June 30, 1818, died July 17, 1849, aged 31.

No. 143. — Samuel Dinsmoor, died March 15,1835,
aged 68.

No. 144. — Mary Boyd, wife of Samuel Dinsmoor,
died June 3, 1834, aged 64.

No. 14"). — Mary E. Dinsmoor, wife of Robert
Means, died Aug. 16, 1829, aged 28.

No. 146. — Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr., died Feb. 24,
1869, aged 69.

No. 147. — Anna E. Jarvis, wife of Samuel Dins-
moor, Jr., died July 17, 1849, aged 31.

No. 148. — Julie A. Fiske, wife of William Dins-
moor, died Jan. 4, 1854, aged 39.

No. 149.— Abiathar Dean, died Oct. 2, 1832, aged
64.

No. 150.— George C. Dean, died Oct. 2, 1835, aged
35.

No. 151. — To the memory of Charles B. Daniels,
born Aug. 30, 1818, graduated at the W. P. Military
Academy June, 1836, was mortally wounded while

KEENE.

gallantly leading his company in the assault of the
enemy's works at Molino Del Rey, Mexico, Sept. 8,
1847, and died of his wounds in the city of Mexico
Oct. 27, 1847, aged 31 years.

"By the purity of his life and fidelity to the de-
mands of his profession, he adorned it by his valor,
he fulfilled its sternest demands.''

Xo. 152. — To the memory of Jabez W. Daniels,
born Aug. 1, 1876, died Oct. 7, 1852, aged 82 years.

" A just man who walked in all the commandment?-
of the Lord blameless."

No. 153. — To the memory of Eleanor Daniels
born May 6, 1773, died June 29, 1863, aged 90 years.

Xo. 154. — Caroline E. Daniels, daughter of Warren
and Caroline C. Daniels, died Feb. 25, 1836, aged 8
months.

X"o. 155. — Davis (granite monument).

Xo. 156.— Abby Z., daughter of H. and A. T. Da-
vis, died July 29,1853, aged' 5 months.

No. 157. — Lucian H., died Dec. 16, 1845, aged 1
year; Ella A., died Aug. 31, 1849, aged 8 months ;
children of Henry and Allura Davis.

Xo. 158. — Allura T., wife of Henry Davis, died
Sept. 14, 1853, in her 34th year.

No. 159. — Mary G., wife of John B. Dowsman, died
Feb. 10, 1838, aged 28 years.

Xo. 160.— Martha Ann, died Feb. 8, 1838, aged 5
years 9 months ; Mary Jane, Feb. 17, aged 3 years 3
months; Chas. Warren, March 11, aged 9 months :
children of Charles and Ann D. Dwinnell.
" The fairest, loveliest sons of earth,
Like charms may fade away ;
But o'er their memory shed a tear,
That cannot e'er decay."

No. 161. — Cyrus Dickey, who died while a member
of the senior class in Dartmouth College, Sept. 30,
1840, aged 26.

-i True excellence ripens but in Heaven."

No. 162.— Chas. Dunbrack, died March 2, 1844,
aged 72. A native of Edenburgh, Scotland, and for
many years a resident of Halifax, N. S.

Xo. 163. — Catherine, wife of Henry Dowdell, died
June 19, 1850, aged 35.

No. 164.— Eliza, wife of Wm. Dort, died Sept. 10,
1852, aged 25.

Xo. lti">.— Lucretia Dawes, born in Boston, Mass.,
May 23, 1788, died in Keene, X. H., Oct. 20, 1855.

" He that believeth in me though he were dead,
yet shall he live."

Xo. 166— Mr. Timothy Ellis, who died March 30,
1814. aged 66.

Xo. 167.— In memory of Mrs. Beulah Ellis, who
died May 22. 1822. aged 7:',.

No. 168.— Joshua Ellis, died Aug. 31, 1838, aged
53.

No. 169.— Parker Ellis (on pine board).

No. 170. — George Andrew, son of Geo. L. and
Susan Ellis, died Sept. 23, 1863, aged 24 years 6
months.

" Best, dearest sufferer, rest in Jesus' arms."

Xo. 171. — Paulina Tucker, daughter of Xathaniel

Evans, died Jan. 25, 1831, aged 4 yr<.

Xo. 172. — Harriett Wiggen, wife of Xathaniel

Evans, died July 5. 1835, aged 36.

Xo. 173. — Harriett K., wife of Xathaniel Evans,

died June 8, 1842, aged 34.

" I leave the world without a tear,
Save for the friends I hold so dear ;
To heal their sorrows Lord descend,
And to the friendless prove a friend."
Xo. 174. — Rebecca A., wife of Geo. W. Enter^n,
died April 27, 1835, aged 25.

Xo. 175.— George W. Emerson, died Dec. 28, 1829,
aged 2 years; George W. Emerson, died Sept. 6, 1830,
aged 7 months; children of Geo. W. and Rebecca A.
Emerson.

Xo. 176.— In memory of Mr. Charles Fitch, who
died Feb. 18, 1800, in his 30th year.

" It is hard to leave our friends behind,

And fair earth's bounteous sweets ;
The place where man is first consigned.

And where man his dear partner meets ;
But we must all submit to fate,

And when our call is pronounced upon,
We must leave our world and state,

And go to regions above unknown."

No. 177.— John Fitch, died June 22, 1848, aged
87.

No. 178. — Lydia Fitch, wife of John Fitch, died
May 28, 1870, aged 84.

No. 179. — In memory of Caroline, daughter of Mr.
Waltrous and Mrs. Mary Fairchild, who died Dec. 10,
1819, aged 11 years.

Xo. 180.— Mrs. Mary, wife of Mr. Phinehas Fiske,
deceased July 11, 1821, aged 31.

Xo. 181. — Catherine Fiske, founder and principal
of the Female Seminary in Keene, X'. H, for 38
years a teacher of youth, died May 20, 1837, aged 53.

" Reader, whoe'er thou art, do justly, love mercy,
and walk humbly with thy God."

Azuba Morse, the mother of Catherine Fiske, died
Nov. 9, 1837, aged 72.

Xo. 182. — David Oilman Forbes, who died Feb. 5,
1822, aged 21.

" In bloom of youth behold he dies."
No. 183.— John Foster, did! Feb. 7, 1854, aged 57;
Sophia, wife of John Foster, died April 20, 1832,
aged 36.

Xo. 184. — William, son of Joseph and Mary Fos-
ter, died March 15, 1833, aged 8.

" So fades the lovely flower

Ere half its charms are shed ;

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Cut down in an untimely hour
And numbered with the dead."

No. 185. — Harriett P., daughter of the Rev. S.
Farnsworth, late of Hillsborough, died March 22,
1841, aged 6 years.

No. 186. — Frost (granite monument).

No. 187. — Amanda Frost, died 1845, aged 28.

No. 188.— Julia S. Frost, died 1844, aged 17
months.

No. 189. — My husband, Harlow Frost, died Nov.
25, L865, aged 49.

No. 190.— Our Willie, Willie H. Frost, son of Har-
low and Eliza W. Frost, died March 28, 1843, aged 2
years 5 months.

No. 191. — Roxana Allen, wife of Jason French,
died Nov. 5, 1852, aged 35.

No. 192. — Abigail Wood, widow of Eleazer Furber,
died July 15, 1853, aged 55.

No. 193. — Jehoshiphat Grout, who departed this
life Sept. 26, 1806, aged 53.

No. 104. — This monument is erected to the memory
of Mrs. Anna, wife of Mr. J. Grout, who departed
this life Aug. 9, 1810, aged 57.

No. 195. — James Gibson, died April 26, 1846, aged

38.

" Not lost, but gone before."

No. 196.— Eliza K , wife of Caleb S. Graves, died
March 18, 1845, aged 35.

"Jesus can make a dyinsj bed

Feel soft as downy pillows are,
While on his breast I lean my head
And breath my life out sweetly there."

No. 197. — John B., son of A. C. and L. Greeley,
born March 9, 1848, died March 10, 1849.

No. 198. — George W. B., son of A. C. and L. Gree-
ley, born Aug. 9, 1852, died Aug. 7, 1853.

No. 199. — Oscar S., son of Edward S. and Man-
Greenwood, died July 17, 1850, aged 2.

" Dearest babe, thy days are ended,
All thy sufferings now are o'er,
No more by our care befriended,
Thou art happy evermore."

No. 200. — Sibyl, wile of Benjamin Good, died Jan.
13, 1854, aged 25 years.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art
with me. Thy rod and thy stall' tiny com fort me."

No. 201. — Reuben I'.., son of Benjamin and Sibyl
Good, died December 26, 1850, aged 2 years and 10
months.

No. 202. — Edwin, son of Benjamin and Sibyl Good,
died Jan. 27, 1851, aged 4 years and 1 month.

No. 203.— Cornelius C. Hall, died Nov. 25, 1815,
aged 39; Fanny Hall, daughter of Cornelius and
Elizabeth Hall, died Dec. 21, 1806, aged 3 years.

No. 204.— Ednie G, daughter of Henry C. and

Ellen F. Hall, died Oct. 12, 1846, aged 4 months 6
days.

" Sleep on, sweet babe,

And take thy rest,
God called thee home,
And he thought best."

No. 205.— H. M. (granite stone).
No. 206.— Major Davis Howlet, died Feb. 23, 1817,
aged 79.

No. 207. — In memory of Mrs. Mary, wife of Major
Davis Howlet, who died April 1, 1826, aged 85.

No. 208. — Davis, son of Davis Howlet, died June
21, 1700, aged 70.

No. 200.— Mr. Davis Howlet, died Aug. 25, 1824,
aged 50.

No. 210.— Mr. William Heaton, who died Dec. 29,
1822, aged 33.

No. 211. — Mary Eliza, daughter of Oliver and
Louisa Heaton, died June 20, 1837, aged 4 years 6
months.

No. 212. — Louisa S., wife of Oliver Heaton, died
Dec. 23, 1843, aged 45.

No. 213. — This monument erected to the memory
of Miss Mary Holbrook, eldest daughter of Mr. Elihu
and Mrs. Mary Holbrook, who died March 27, 1806,
aged 14 years.

" Stay, thoughtful mourner, hither led
To weep and mingle with the dead;
Pity the maid who slumbers here,
And pay the tributary tear.
Thy feet must wander far to find
A fairer form, a lovelier mind,
An eye that beams a sweeter smile,
A bosom more estranged from guile,
A heart with kinder passions warm,
A life with fewer stains deformed,
A death with deeper sighs confess'd
A memory more beloved and bless'd."

Here will be found many old, familiar names;
among them, that of Betsey Nurss Leonard,
who was born only two years later than the
organization of the town of Iveene, 1 755, and
lived to be more than one hundred years old.
I remember her as a very pleasant old lady.
.Mrs. Houghton, her daughter, is still living on
Court Street. Mrs. Leonard on her one hun-
dredth anniversary received her friends. Elijah
Knight, Esq., kept the old tavern now owned
by Miss Kate Tyler, on Court Street. When I
was a boy he died in the Fuller house, on
Washington Street. Stephen Harrington and his
son, Asaph, both were model hotel-keepers, and
known everywhere. Stephen Harrington was
born in Lexington, Mass., only six months after
tin' battle, in 1 77o. Major George Ingersoll,

KEENE.

who was born in 1754, and who was twenty-
one years old when the Declaration of Indepen-
dence was declared ; Rev. George G. Ingersoll,
D.D., whom to know was to love and respect ;
also the name of Daniel Hough, whom I re-
member as a merchant in Keene, whose store
was just south of the Eagle Hotel, now a part
of the hotel ; also the name of Luther L. Hol-
brook, my old friend and shop-mate, and a long
list of names that we like to remember.

No. 214. — L. L. Holbrook, died at Keeseville, N.Y.,
Oct. 20, 1844, aged 29. Francis A. wife of L. L.
Holbrook, and daughter of Abijah Wilder, died Nov.
10, 1851, aged 35 years.

" There is rest in Heaven."

No. 215. — Betsey, daughter of Rufus and Dorothy
Houghton, died Oct. 26, 1809, aged 2 years 8 months
and 3 days.

" See the dear youth just enter life,
Bud forth like a flower in May ;
Stay long enough to seal our hearts,
Then smile and die away."

No. 216. — In memory of Dr. Dan Hough, who de-
parted this life Feb. 26, 1828, aged 49.

No. 217. — Louisa Ellis, wife of Luther Howe, died
March 21, 1835, aged 54.

No. 218.— Louisa Howe, died Sept. 21, 1854, aged

41-

No. 219. — Mary A., wife of Sylvester Haskell, died
April 14, 1835, aged 33.

No. 220. — Charles C, only son of Charles and
Isabell Hirsch, died Aug. 29, 1842, aged 16 months
11 days.

" Rest, sweet babe, thy days are ended,
Quick thy passage to the tomb ;
Gone, by angel bands attended,
To thy everlasting home."

No. 221. — Stephen Harrington, born in Lexington,
Mass., Nov. 22, 1775, died Oct. 25, 1847.

No. 222. — Mary Prescott, wife of Stephen Harring-
ton, died Aug. 16, 1862, aged 80.

No. 223.— Asaph Harrington, died May 26, 1867,
aged 57.

No. 224.— Alfred Hebard, obt. July 12, 1848, aged
32.

No. 225. — Rufus, son of Josiah and Sophronia
Hayden, died Dec. 25, 1853, aged 5 years 9 months.

No. 226.— John Hoar, died June 24, 1846, aged
33.

No. 227.— Mary Ann, wife of John Hoar, died
July 16, 1846, aged 30.

No. 228,— John E., died Sept. 15, 1840, aged 4
months; Albert A., died June 30, 1845, aged 5 weeks;
children of John and Mary Ann Hoar.

No. 229.— Daphne Hoar, born Feb. 25, 1811, died
Jan. 31, 1873.

No. 230.— Jason Hodgkins, died July 24, 1856,
aged 30.

No. 231. — Harriet M., wife of Jason Hodgkins,
died May 2, 1854, aged 23.

" She died and left me
This spot, this calm and quiet scene,
And those who saw her smile in death
No more may fear to die."

No. 232.— Lovina Holman, died Nov. 17, 1856,
aged 27.

No. 233. — Sacred to the memory of Caroline H.
Ingersoll, who was born at West Point, N. Y., Dec.
5, 1797, died at Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 12, 1812, aged
15 ; also, Mary Ingersoll Adams, wife of Charles
Adams, Esq., who was born at West Point, N. Y.,
May 5, 1799, died at Burlington, Vt., May 4, 1832,
aged 33; both daughters of George and Martha
Ingersoll.

"Strangers and pilgrims here, our home is in
Heaven."

No. 234. — Martha Goldthwait Ingersoll, widow of
Major George Ingersoll, born in Boston, Mass., July
7th, 1764, died in Burlington, Vt., April 24th, 1839,
aged 74 years.

No. 235. — The remains of Major George Ingersoll,
late of the United States Army ; born at Boston,
Mass., April 2d, 1754, died at Keene July 16th, 1805,
aged 51 years.

" In that high world which follows this
May each repeat in words of bliss —
We're all, all here."

No. 236. — Ingersoll (marble monument). Rev.
George Goldthwait Ingersoll, D.D., son of Major
George and Martha G. Ingersoll, born in Boston,
Mass., July 4, 1796, died in Keene, N. H., Sept. 16,
1863.

" Hope which entereth within the vail."

Allen Parkhurst, son of Rev. Geo. G. and Harriet
P. Ingersoll, born Nov. 10, 1823, in Burlington, Vt.,
died Sept. 8, 1859, in Keene, N. H.

No. 237. — George and Harriet (marker).

No. 238. — George P. Ingersoll (marker).

No. 239.— Allen P. Ingersoll (marker).

No. 240.— Joseph Ingalls, died Oct. 12, 1858, aged
83.

No. 241. — Mrs. Lucy Ingalls, wife of Joseph In-
galls, died Oct. 12, 1822, aged 49.

No. 242. — Anna L., wife of Joseph Ingalls, died
July 24, 1850, aged 58.

No. 243. — John, son of Joseph and Anna Ingalls,
died Dec. 29, 1851, aged 18.

No. 244. — In memory of John, son of Moses John-
son, who died April 22, 1795, aged 7.

No. 245. — Mary A., daughter of Charles and Harriet
G. Jones, died Oct. 6, 1839, aged 15 mouths.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

No. 246. — Josepheus H., daughter of Sylvester
and Elizabeth Jones, died June 14, 1839, aged 13
months.

No. 247. — Harriet E., daughter of Sylvester and
Elizabeth Jones, died March 6, 1840, aged 3 years.

No. 248.— Widow Abial Keyes, who died Aug. 19,
1807, aged 78 years.

No. 249.— Zebadiah Keyes, died Sept, 16, 1859,
aged 83.

No. 250. — Sybel, wife of Zebadiah Keyes, died
March 15, 1851, aged 70.

No. 251. — Fanny, daughter of Mr. Zebadiah and
Mrs. Sybel Keyes, died Aug. 19, 1812, aged 2 years
and 7 months.

No. 252. — Sally Ann, daughter of Zebadiah and
Sybel Keyes, died Aug. 20, 1833, aged 19 years and 7
months.

No. 253. — Mary Ellen, daughter of Charles and
Elizabeth Keyes, died April 13, 1852, aged 5 years
and 10 months.

No. 254. — Ezra Kilburn, died March 27, 1853, aged
85.

No. 255. — Leverett, son of Edmund and Julia
Kimball, died dune 7, 1826, aged 18 months.

" With anxious care each art was tried
The lovely flower to save,
But all in vain — the shaft of death
Consigned it to the grave."

No. 266. — Children of Charles and Ruby O. Kings-
bury. Charles Edward, died Aug. 28, 1838, aged 15
weeks.

No. 257.— Stella Maria, Sept. 19, 1843, aged 14
months.

No. 258.— Charles Edward, died March 29, 1849,
aged 5 days.

No. 259.— Stella Maria, died Oct. 1, 1853, aged 8
years.

No. 260.— Cyrus Kingsbury, died June 30, 1863,
aged 65.

No. 261. — Rachel, wife of Cyrus Kingsbury, died
March 26, L843, aged 38; John S., their son, died
March It',, 1843, aged 8 months.

No. 262. -Sarah, daughter of C. and It. Kingsbury,
died Aug. 12, 1849, aged 9 years.

No. 263.— Elijah Knight, Esq., died 1842, aged
86.

No. 264.— Martha Knight, died 1847, aged 73
years.

No. 265.— John McKoy, died May 20, 1842, aged
43 years.

No. 2oii.— Here are the remains of James Lanman,
who di.d the 22d day of. June, A.i). 1809, aged 60
years, formerly deacon of the church in Brattle Street,
Boston.

"Faithful to his family, to his friends and to the
church of God. The sweet remembrance of the just
shall flourish while they sleep in dust."

No. 267. — Miss Hannah Lanman, born in Cam-
bridge, Mass., Jan. 3, 1750, died Jan. 16, 1837, aged
81.

No. 268. — Sacred to the memory of Susan Dawes
Lanman, wife of Daniel Gilbert, of Boston, and only
child of James and Susanna Lanman, who died Aug.
5, 1851, aged 25.

" Blessed are the pure in spirit."

No. 269. — Mrs. Lydia Lebourveau, died April 6,

1846, aged 83.

No. 270. — In memory of Emily, daughter of Mr.
George W. and Mrs. Betsey Lebourveau, who died
Oct. 26, 1822, aged 16 months.

" Sleep on, sweet babe,
And rest secure;
Thy body's safe,
Thy soul's sure."

No. 271. — George W. Lebourveau, died June 25,
1828, aged 40 years.

No. 272.— Capt. John Leonard, died April 27, 1829,
aged 76.

No. 273.— Betsey Nurss Leonard,' wife of Capt.
John Leonard, born April 27, 1755, died Dec. 7,
1855, aged 100 years 7 months and 10 days.

No. 274. — Rowland Sumner Leonard, son of Joseph
B. and Ruth H. Leonard, born Aug. 31, 1840, died
May 25, 1841, aged 8 months and 25 days.

" Shed not for him the bitter tear,
Nor sorrow with a vain regret;
'Tis but the casket which lies here,
The gem in Heaven is sparkling yet."

No. 275. — Lawrence Leonard, died Sept. 15, 1843,
aged 40.

No. 276.— Mary, daughter of John and Hannah
Lawrence, died April 19, 1843, aged 7.

No. 277.— Alvin Lawrence, died Dec. 19, 1849,
aged 25 years.

No. 278. — In memory of Thaddeus MacCarty, Esq.,
who died Nov. 21, a.d. 1802, aged 55 years.

No. 279. — In memory of William, son of Doctor
Thaddeus and Mrs. Experience MacCarty, who died
Feb. 4, 1797, aged 13 years.

No. 280. — Martha, wife of Benjamin Mann, Esq.,
died May 17, 1808, aged 65.

No. 281.— Charlotte Mundell, died Nov. 15,1828,
aged 18.

No. 282.— This marble was erected by Mr. Gilbert
Mellen to preserve from oblivion the memory of his
affectionate consort, Mrs. Mary Mellen, who died
April 26, 1814, aged 42.

" Interred within this silent grave she lies.
Mouldering dust obscured from human eyes,
Her soul has sweetly fled to realms above
Where vice and woe are not, but all is love."

1 This lady rode from Kecne to Boston and back in the
cars after she was one hundred years old. How many
women of the present 'lay will do it '.'

KEENE.

No. 283.— Cyrus Mulliken, died Dec. 31, 1840,

aged 44.

No. 284.— Mary, wife of Cyrus Mulliken, died
April 16, 1845, aged 39.

No. 285.— Harriett Mulliken, born Aug. 26, 1828,
died March 22, 1867, aged 38.

" This is but the mortal part."

No. 286.— Alexander Milliken, died May 14, 1854,
aged 74.

No. 287. — Martha, wife of Abijah Metcalf, died
May 11, 1838, aged 40.

No. 288.— Capt. Henry N. Metcalf.

" 'Tis sweet to die for one's country.
Henry N. Metcalf, Co. F, N. H. Vols., killed at
Gettysburg July 2, 1863, aged 30.

No. 289.— Martha Wood, daughter of Abijah and
Martha Metcalf, died Aug. 20, 1865, aged 27.

No. 290. — Rebecca, wife of M. Metcalf and mother
of Josiah and Eebecca Capen, died May 16, 1851,
aged 88.

No. 291. — In memory of Elizabeth W. May, who
died June 16, 1835, aged 15 years.

" Happy soul, thy days are ended,
All thy mourning days below ;
Go, by angel guards attended,
To the sight of Jesus, go."

No. 292. — Salome, wife of Silas May, died April 22,
1845, aged 27.

No. 293. — Harriett C, daughter of Wm. and Al-
mira Marsh, died March 10, 1837, aged 3 years and 3
months.

jj0 294.— George Marsh,1 died Feb. 14, 1851, aged

38.

No. 295. — Mary E., wife of George Marsh, died
May 20, 1859, aged 41.

No. 296.— Charles H., son of G. and M. E. Marsh,
died April 9, 1841, aged 15 months.

No. 297.— Sophia Munn, died Oct. 3, 1842, aged 5
months ; Emeline Munn, died Nov. 24, 1843, aged 4
months and 11 days; children of John D. -and Eliza-
beth Munn.

No. 298. — Geneve S., daughter of Abel H. and
Mary S. Miller, died Aug. 26, 1845, aged 13 months
and 10 days.

No. 299. — Mary J., daughter of Isaac and Sarah
Ann Mason, died Sept. 2, 1845, aged 9 months and 16
clays.

No. 300. — Francis M., son of Isaac and Sarah Ann
Mason, died July 15, 1848, aged 7 years 10 months
and 7 days.

No. 301. — Harriet A., daughter of John and Ma-
tilda W. Mason, died Dec 16, 1853, aged 12 years and
2 months.

i George Marsh was killed on the Cheshire Railroad by
being crushed between a car and a platform of a freight
depot in Keene.

" Too soon thou art gone, thou loved one,
And left thy dearest friends to mourn."

No. 302.— John W., son of John and Matilda W.
Mason, died May 6, 1855, aged 18 yrs.

No. 303. — Sabra, wife of Jonathan Mansfield, died
Dec. 1, 1849, aged 58.

" Dear friends, weep not for me,
I'm free from pain and care ;
The Lord has called me hence,
And I his blessings share."

No. 304. — Jonathan E., son of Laton and Lydia
Martin, died March 14, 1849, aged 14 months.

" Thou destroyeth the hope of man."

No. 305. — Here lies the body of George Newcomb,
son of Daniel Newcomb, Esq., and Sarah, his wife.
He was born Oct. 16, 1783, admitted a member of
Dartmouth College Aug. 28th, 1792, and drowned in
Ashuelot River June 10th, 1796.

" Cropped like a rose before 'tis fully blown,
Or half its worth disclosed.
Fate gave the word, the cruel order sped,
And George lies numbered with the dead."

No. 306. — Daniel Newcomb, M.D., was born April
2d, 1785, and died May 13, 1809.

" He healed others — himself he could not heal."

No. 307. — Here lies the body of Mrs. Sarah New-
comb, wife of Daniel Newcomb, Esq., and daughter
of the Rev. David Stearns, of Lunenburg. She was
born April 25th, 1758, and died Nov. 13th, 1796, in
the 39th year of her age.

" How loved, how valued once, avails thee not,
To whom related or by whom begot,
A heap of dust alone remains of thee,
'Tis all thou art, and what we all must be."

No. 308. — Daniel Newcomb was born at Norton,
Mass., 1746 ; was graduated at Harvard College 1768 ;
settled at Keene as attorn ey-at-law 1778 ; was chief
justice of the county court and senator in the State
legislature ; died at Keene July 14, 1818, aged 72.

" He neither sought nor declined honours."

No. 309. — Here lies the body of Seth Newcomb,
who was born Oct. 20, a.d. 1786, died Oct. 31st, 1811,
aged 25 years, whose life, though short, was active ;
too much devoted, however, to the world, and too
little to his Maker ; and not till the chastening hand
of providence was in mercy extended to him did he
duly estimate the importance of faithfully examin-
ing the evidence of Christianity ; but severe and long-
continued sickness induced reflection and inquiry,
and the result was regret that his conduct had been so
long influenced by worldly views, and full conviction
of the truth of our holy religion ; and he died, as he
believed, a humble and penitent sinner, resting his
hopes of pardon and salvation on the merits of his
Redeemer.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Nn. 310. — Hannah Newcomb was horn at Boston,
Mass., 17(39, died at KeeneSept. 2, 18-3 J, aged 82 years.
"Her children arise and call her blessed."

No. 311.— Everett Newcomb, died Sept. 10, 1837,
aged 50 years.

No. 312.— Sarah R. Newcomb, died June 19, 1873,
aged 81.

No. 313 — Hannah Xewcomb, died June 7, 1870,
aged 4(1.

Nn. 314. — Phinehas Nurse (granite monument).

No. 315. — Miss Susan Nurse, died Nov. 8, 1843,
aged 26.

No. 316.— Sibyl Norton, died July 3, 1822, aged 19
months.

No. 317.— James K.Norton, died Feb. 4, 1823, aged
6 months.

No. 318.— James H. Norton, died July 3, 1826, aged
6 months.

No. 319.— Drusilla S. Norton, died Nov. 2, 1832,
aged 5 years and 6 months.

No. 320.— Horace J. Norton, died Nov. 30, 1832,
aged 2 years and 8 months.

No. 321.— John L. Norton, died Feb. 18, 1847,
aged 12 years.

No. 322.— Roswell Nims, died April 24, 1855, aged
71.

No. 323.— Sally, wife of Roswell Nims, died Oct.
24, 1857, aged 68.

No. 324.— Roswell Nims, Jr., died Sept. 25, 1838,
aged 25.

No. 325. — In memory of Mr. David Nims, who
died July 21, 1803 (age is not plain).

No. 326. — In memory of Mrs. Abigail Nims, wife
of Mr. David Nims. She died July 13, 1799, aged
80 years.

No. 327. — In memory of Capt. Alpheus Nims, who
died June 8, 1804, aged 49 years. Also, George, died
Oct. 8, 1796, aged 6 years ; Nabby, died Aug. 9, 1794,
aged 15 months; Kliakin, died Sept. 5, 1796, aged It;
months; Josiah Richardson, died March 16, 1801,
aged 7 months ; Alpheus, died March 8, 1802, aged 2
days ; children of Capt. A. Nims.

No. 328. — Abigail, wile of Alpheus Nims, died
April 9, 1816, in her 49th year.

No. 329. — Erected in memory of George, son of
Alpheus and Abigail Nims. Be died at Getersburg,
Virginia, Dec. 31, 1818, aged 20 years and 6 months.

No. 330.— Esther Newell, died Sept, 14, 1867, aged
69.

" Dear mother, gone to rest."

No. 331.— John Newell, died Sept. 25, 1850, aged
51.

" A husband dear, a lather kind,

Has gone and left his friends behind ;
Has gone, we trust, to realms of light,
Where all Christ's followers will unite."

No. 332.— Charles William, an in taut, died July 21,
1841; Sarah Ann, died Nov. 19, 1853, aged 9 years

and 3 months ; children of Wm. A. and Susan D.
Norwood.

" Peace to their ashes, may they sleep
In arms of heavenly love,
And when our pilgrimage is o'er,
We hope to meet again."

No. 333.— Freddy, died Jan. 12, 1856, aged 8
months; Carrie J., died Jan. 10, 1857; children of
Chester and Caroline Nichols.

" Sleep on, sweet babes, and take thy rest,
God early called, for He knew best."

No. 334. — Mr. Thomas Ocington, who departed
this life Oct. 3, 1814, in the 21st year of his age.

" Happy the soul that does in Heaven rest,
Who with his Saviour he is ever blest ;
With heavenly joys and raptures is possessed,
No thought but his God inspires his breast."

No. 335.— Samuel Osgood, died July 11, 1828, aged
71.

No. 336.— John Osgood, died April 7, 1828, aged
50.

No. 337.— Ellen, daughter of Thomas and Char-
lotte C. Grady, died June 29, 1858, aged 11 months
and 25 days.

" Thy home is Heaven."

No. 338. — To preserve from oblivion the memory of
William M., son of Mr. William and Mrs. Abigail
Pierce, who died Feb. 8, 1812, aged 1 year.

" Sweet babe, a dying father wept for thee,
Its mother kind mourned the sad decree;
To Jesus this little child is gone,
For of such is the kingdom of Heaven."

No. 339. — Sacred to the memory of Mr. William
Pierce, who departed this life March 8, 1812, aged 43.

" Not prudence can defend, nor virtue save
Our dying bodies from the silent grave;
Tho' mouldering in the dust this friend must lie,
His soul immortal can never, never die."
No. 340.— Mrs. Abigail, wife of Mr. William Pierce,

born Oct. 28, 1775, died Feb. 2, 1818, aged 42.
" Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return."

No. 341. — His own epitaph.

Here lie the mortal remains of John Prentiss, born
in Heading, Mass., March 21, 1778. He established
the New Hampshire Sentinel in 1799, and conducted it
principally 49 years. Died June 6, 1873, aged 95.

" He lived — he died — Behold the sum,
The abstract of the historian's page!"
No. 342. — Here rest the remains of Diantha A.,
wife of John Prentiss. She died March 1, 1856, aged
74.

" She has gone to the day -break,
Where the shadows flee away." — Sol. Song.

No. 343. — In memory of Pamelia Mellen, third
daughter of John and Diantha Prentiss, who died
Oct. 9, 1820, aged 13 years and 4 months.

KEENE.

" Tell those who sigh
O'er some dear friend's untimely doom

That all must die ;
She whom they saw laid in the tomb,
In God's own paradise may bloom."

No. 344. — In memory of Ellen Sophia, fourth
daughter of John and Diantha Prentiss, who died
Dec. 28, 1825, aged 14 years and 8 months.

" Dust to its narrow home beneath,
Soul to its place on high ;
They that have seen thy look in death,
No more may fear to die."

No. 345. — Edmund S., son of John and Diantha
Prentiss, died May 23, 1846, aged 26.

No. 346.— Sacred to the memory of George A.
Prentiss, commodore United States Navy, son oi
John and Diantha Prentiss, who died April 8, 1868,
aged 59.

" His hands are folded on his breast,
The long disquiet merged in rest,
How sink the brave who sink to rest,
By all their country's wishes blest."

No. 347.— Geo. W. Prentiss, of New York, died
Feb. 28, 1829, aged 37.

No. 348.— Charles P. Perkins, died Dec. 4, 1850,
aged 46.

No. 349.— Mary P. Perkins, died Aug. 14, 1853,
aged 49.

No. 350.— Mary L., daughter of Charles P. and
Mary F. Perkins, died Sept. 5, 1832, aged 2.

No. 351. — Charles Henry, son of Charles P. and
Mary F. Perkins, died June 1, 1838, aged 5.

No. 352.— Ferdinand Preckle, died Nov. 19, 1833,
aged 39.

No. 353.— Ann C. Parsons, died Feb. 10, 1833,
aged 21.

" She was amiable, unassuming, conscientious, and
faithful in the discharge of duty. The grave of the
young, whose health and vigor jjromised many com-
ing years, teaches the living the importance of a con-
stant trust in God, thus to be prepared for affliction,
disease and death.

No. 354.— James Parker, died April 27, 1862, aged
73.

No. 355. — Martha, wife of James Parker, died July
28, 1850, aged 64.

No. 356. — Sarah E., daughter of James and Martha
Parker, died Dec. 14, 1838, aged 17.

" Dearest sister thou hast left us,
And thy loss Ave deeply feel ;
But 'tis God that has bereft us ;
He can all our sorrows heal."

No. 357.— Jonathan Parker, died Aug. 28, A. i>.
1817, in the 56th year of his age.

No. 358. — Hepsibeth, wife of Jonathan Parker, died
Nov. 21, 1848, aged 84.

No. 359.— Esther P., wife of L. B. Page, died Feb.
27, 1870, aged 70.

No. 360.— Alden L., son ofL. B. and E. P. Page, of
Co. C, 2d Peg. Maine Vols., died July 4, 1862, aged
25.

No. 361.— Esther L., daughter of L. B. and E. P
Page, died May 5, 1841, aged 7 years.

No. 362.— Roxanna Plantain,1 died June 26, 1843,
aged 46.

No. 363. — Putnam (granite monument).

No. 364. — Edward Poole, a native of Danvers, Mass.,
died May 7, 1847, aged 34.

No. 365.— Helen Poole, died Nov. 17, 1846, aged 22
months.

No. 366. — Hannah Iv. Perham, wife of Geo. W.
Perhain, died at Nashville, N. H., Oct. 8, 1849, aged
28.

No. 367. — Relief, wife of Samuel Payson, died July
13, 1857, aged 79.

" In that bright world which follows this,
May each repeat in words of bliss,
We're all, all here."

No. 368. — Ella F., daughter of James H. andSusan
Payson, died May 1, 1855, aged 2 years and 4 months.

" Safe in Heaven, and so soon."

No. 369.— Hulda Pond, born Aug. 7, 1777, died
March 23, 1864.

No. 370.— Mrs. Sarah McNiel, wife of David Rich-
ardson, died April 2d, 1814, aged 24.

No. 371. — Hon. Josiah Richardson, died Feb. 20,
1820, aged 74.

No. 372. — Artemas Richardson, died Nov. 4, 1845,
aged 51.

No. 373.— Charles Richardson, died Jan. 20, 1848,
aged 16.

No. 374.— Martha M. Richardson, died April 6,
1863, aged 26.

No. 375. — Alexander Rolston, a native of Falkirk,
lied March 29, 1810, aged 64.

"In mv'distress I called my God,

When I could scarce believe him mine ;
He bowed his ear to my complaint,
Then did his grace appear divine."

No. 376. — Jannett, wife of Alexander Rolston, a
native of Falkirk, Scotland, died June 11, 1833, aged
85.

No. 377.— Levi Russell, died Sept. 21, 1831, aged
31.

Eliza Emeline Russell died Nov. 16, 1832, aged 5
years and 9 months ; Mary F. W. died Jan. 29, 1832,
aged 7 months; daughters of Levi and Elizabeth
Russell.

No. 378. — Rebecca A. Martin, wife of Jeduthun
Russell, died Feb. 17, 1863, aged 74.

1 She was colored and once a, slave.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

No. 379.— Jonathan Rand, died Feb. 11, 1838, aged
76.

No. 380. — Anna, wife of Jonathan Rand, died July
26, 1858, aged 85.

No. 381.— William Rand, died Dec. 23, 1837, aged
25.

No. 382. — Emily A., daughter of Isaac and Julia
A. Rand, died Feb. 22, 1847, aged 6 months.

No. 383. — Harriet Louisa, daughter of Isaac and
Julia A. Rand, died June 8, 1857, aged 13 years.

No. 384. — Betsey H., wife of Elisha Rand, died
April 7, 1851, aged 50.

No. 385. — Lydia G., wife of Elisha Rand, died
Sept. 21, 1855, aged 46.

No. 386. — Ezra Rider, born in Dublin, died Aug.
11, 1850, aged 64.

" Even so those who sleep in Jesus will God bring
with him at his coming."

No. 387. — Isaac Redington, died Sept. 5, 1854,
aged 83.

No. 388.— Mercy D. Redington, died Jan. 29, 1860,
aged 85.

No. 389. — In memory of Jeremiah Stiles, Esq.,
who died December 6, a.d. 1800, aged 56 years.

No. 390. — Erected in memory of Mrs. Mary, relict
of Jeremiah Stiles, Esq., who died March 22, a.d.
1810, in the 29th year of her age.

No. 391. — Death loves a lofty mark.

Here lies the body of Peleg Sprague, Esq. He
was born in Rochester, Mass., Dec. 10, 1756. Gradu-
ated at Dartmouth College in the year 1787, was
chosen a member of Congress in the year 1797, and
died April 20, 1800, in the 44th year of his age.

" What tho' we wade in wealth or soar in fame,
Earth's highest station ends in here he lies,
And dust to dust concludes her noblest song."

No. 392. — To the memory of David, son of Peleg
Sprague, Esq., and Mrs. Rosalinda, his wife, born
Nov. 12, 1796, and died May 15, 17«>7.

No. 393.— Aimer Sanger, died Oct. 1, 1822, aged
83.

No. 394. — Rhoda Sanger, died June 28, 1811, aged
75.

No. 395. — Sarah Fisher, widow of Cornelius Stur-
tevant. Jr., died at Piketon, Ohio, Aug. 2, L821, aged
50. Henry, their son, died at Hudson, N. Y., Sept.
6, 1812, aged 17.

No. 396.— Sarah, died Dec. 15, 1832, aged 29;
Maria, died Feh. 24, 1804, aged 6 years ; daughters
of ( 'orneliua Sturtevant.

No. 397. — Isaac Sturtevant, died duly 1, 1*6."., aged
62. Caroline Maria, died Oct. 12,1849, aged !> years;
Anna, died Aug. 19, 1847, aged 3 months; daughters
of I. and L. E. Sturtevant.

"Suffer little children to come to me."

No. 398.— Milo Stone, who died July 16, 1834,
aged 33.

No. 399. — Charles Adams, son of Milo and Eunice
E. Stone, died June 29, 1834, aged 7 months.

No. 400. — John Snow, died Dec. 18, 1845, aged
75.

No. 401. — Sally, widow of John Snow, died May 6,
1856, aged 79.

No. 402. — Esther, daughter of John and Esther
Snow, died Jan. 8, 1836, aged 31 ; Cyntha, daughter
of John and Esther Snow, died April 3, 1840, aged
19.

No. 403.— Lucretia M., only child of George M.
and Olivia I. Snow, died dune 3, L844, aged 3 years
and 11 months.

No. 404. — Gustavus A., son of John and Jerusha
Snow, died July 9, 1839, aged 9 months and 8 days.

No. 405.— Luther Smith, died Oct. 21, 1839, aged
73.

" Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think
not the Son of Man cometh." '

No. 406. — Sarah, wife of Luther Smith, died June
7, 1858, aged 90.

No. 407.— Rosina Smith, died Jan. 2, 1850, aged
43.

No. 408. — Sarah, daughter of Luther Smith, died
Nov. 25, 1864, aged 64.

No. 409. — Cline Smith (granite monument).

No. 410.— Augustus A. Smith, died Aug. 8, 1843,
aged 64.

No. 411.— Stephen Sibley, died Jan. 18, 1846, aged
49.

No. 412. — Esther, wife of Stephen Sibley, died March
25, 1872, aged 70 years and 9 months.

No. 413.— Albinus Shelley, died Sept. 22, 1848, aged
40.

No. 414.— John L. Staples, died April 28, 1855, aged
47.

No. 415. — Eliza A., wife of John L. Staples, died
Jan. 10, 1851, aged 42.

No. 416. — Jerusha, wife of Curtis Spaulding, died
Jan. 7, 1852, aged 54.

No. 417.— George N., son of N. E. and M. E. Starky,
died Feb. 10, 1852, aged 6 years.

No. 418.— Mary E., daughter of N. E. and M. E.
Starky, died March 24, 1852. aged 8.

No. 419. — Sacred to the memory of Susan G. Sel-
fridge, who departed this life Sept. 28, 1841, aged
62.

"The last tribute of filial love.

"I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Sa-
viour, lie that liveth and helieveth in me, though he
were dead yet shall he live. And he that liveth and
believeth in me shall never die." -

1 Luther Smith was the old clock-maker; he dropped
down dead while going into his house.

2 The Rev. Abial A. Livermore caused this beautiful trib-
ute to be engraved on this marble.

KEENE.

No. 420.— Thomas Thompson, horn April 6, 1785,
died June 4, ]857.

No. 421. — Here rests the mortal part of Mrs. Thirza,
wife of Mr. Thomas Thompson, whose virtues en-
deared her to her family, friends and acquaintances;
she died May 11, 1822. aged 36.

No. 422. — Betsy, wife of Thomas Thompson, horn
March 1, 1786, died Aug. 1, 1857.

No. 423. — In memory of Thirza Elmira A., daugh-
ter of Thomas and Thirza Thompson, who died Sept.
19, 1836, aged 17.

"Sleep, sister, sleep, for now the dawn
Of brighter day has met thine eye,
The hand of death has gently drawn
The curtain of another sky."

No. 424. — In memory of Thomas Thompson, who
died Feb. 24, 1813, aged 71.

No. 425.— Widow Sally Thompson, died April 21,
1840, aged 81.

No. 426. — Julia A., wife of Thomas C. Thompson,
died January 2, 1850, aged 32.

' True excellence ripens but in Heaven."

No. 427. — Augusta, daughter of A. and H. Thomp-
son, died Feb. 27, 1832, aged 4 years.

No. 428. — George, son of A. and H. Thompson, died
Jan. 5, 1850, aged 27.

No. 429.— Sarah, daughter of A. and H. Thompson,
died March 30, 1849, aged 19 years and 10 months.

No. 430.— Aaron Thompson, died March 10, 1847,
aged 57.

No. 431. — Hannah, wife of Aaron Thompson, died
Nov. 30, 1848, aged 57.

No. 432. — Thompson (granite monument).

No. 433.— Mary Ann, daughter of A. and H. Thomp-
son, died Nov. 6, 1843, aged 26.

No. 434. — Sarah Athea, daughter of Joshua C. and
Caroline Thompson, died March 21, 1854, aged 2 years
11 months and 7 days.

" Blossomed to die,
O, do not weep,
Suppress that sigh,
I sweetly sleep."

No. 435.— Harry Towne, died June 8, 1826, aged 24.

No. 436.— Ephraim Towne, died March 24, 1849,
aged 68.

Xo. 437.— Harriet W., wife of Joseph S. Towne,
died Feb. 11, 1852, aged 36.

No. 438. — In memory of George E. Towne, who
died Nov. 6, 1851, aged 30.

No. 439. — Elvira, daughter of George E. and Mar-
tha M. Towne, died Sept. 11, 1850, aged 1 year 5
months and 21 days.

" Shed not for her the bitter tear,
Nor give the heart to vain regret,

'Tis but the casket that lies here,
The gem that fills it sparkles yet."

No. 440.— Stephen Trask, died Aug. 7, 1830, aged
66.

No. 441.— Ezekiel H. Trask, died May 10, 1830,
aged 25.

No. 442.— Walter Taylor, died Aug. 30, 1852, aged
64.

No. 443.— Milla, wife of Walter Taylor, died Oct,
9, 1839, aged 52.

No. 444.— Harriet G. Taylor, died Dec. 8, 1837,
aged 21.

" Hope is a pledge of glorious rest,
To weary mortals given,
A flower we cultivate on earth,
To reap the fruit in Heaven."

No. 445.— Harriet Ada Tilden, died Oct. 16, 1844,
aged 18.

No. 446.— Elijah Turner, died May 26, 1845, aged
58.

No. 447.— Win. H. Turner, died July 2, 1825, aged
26.

"With silent lips to Heaven we give him up,
» Submissively we take the cup,
'Tis bitter, but 'tis given."

No. 448.— Little Georgie— George O., son of H. U.
and M. P. Thatcher, died Sept. 9, 1863, aged 9 months.

No. 449.— John G. Thatcher, died June 26, 1842,
aged 56.

No. 450.— John Thurstain, died July 30, 1845, aged
73.

No. 451.— Roswell Thurstain, died April 29, 1850,
aged 42. Francis W., William C., Julia A., Lyman
C, children of Roswell and Frances Thurstain.

No. 452. — Twitchell (marble monument).

No. 453.— Amos Twitchell, born in Dublin April
11, 1781, died May 26, 1850.

No. 454.— Elizabeth Goodhue, wife of Dr. Amos
Twitchell, died Oct. 24, 1848, aged 60.

No. 455. — William Torrance, aged 39 years. Born
in Enfield, Mass., Dec. 1, 1815; graduated at Amherst
College in 1844 ; for years instructor of Keene Acad-
emy and the first principal of the High School ; died
Feb. 3, 1855, universally lamented.

"The pure in heart shall see God."

His pupils in grateful remembrance of his virtues
have erected this monument,

No. 456.— Elizabeth Wright, died March 14, 1799,
aged 52.

No. 457.— James Wright, died May 3, 1811, aged
61 years. Martha Wilder died March 16, 1819, aged
35.

No. 458.— Adolphus Wright, born June 13, 1785,
died Nov. 23, 1864.

"Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for
the end of that man is peace.

No. 459. — Mrs. Jerusha, wife of Mr. Adolphus
Wright, died March 17, 1828, aged 43.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

No. 4(50. — Sylvia, wife of Adolphus Wright, died
Dee. 19, 1866, aged 79 years and 11 months.

" Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."

No. 461. — In memory of George Andrew, youngest
son of Adolphus and Jerusha Wright, who died Jan.
29, 1819, aged 6 years and 6 months.

No. 462.— Gustavus Wright, died Dec. 5, 1834, aged
27.

No. 463.— George Andrew, died Oct. 25, 1824, aged
3. Frederick Win., died March 7, 1827, aged 16, sons
of Adolphus and Jerusha Wright.

No. 464.— Mr. Ephraim Wright, died Dec. 24, 1821,
aged 66.

No. 465. — Sophronia Wright, died July 5, 1821, aged
20 months. Sophronia, died Aug. 12, 1822, aged 1
month, daughters of Mr. Ephraim and Mrs. Charity
Wright.

No. 466.— Alba Wright, died Dec. 5, 1851, aged
35.

No. 467. — Betsy, wife of Salmon Wright, died Oct,

3, 1837, aged 27 years.

No. 468. — Sewell J., eldest son of Salmon and Betsy
Wright, died Aug. 31, 1837, aged 2 years and 3
months.

No. 469. — Franklin H., son of Salmon and Betsy
Wright, died Oct. 8, 1837, aged 1 year and 1 month.

No. 470.— George Wells,1 died July 25, 1803.

No. 471.— William Wyman, died April 27, 1811,
aged 36.

No. 472.— .Alary, wife of William Wyman, died Nov.

4, 1813, aged 40.

No. 473. — Hannah, wife of Josiah Ward, died Aug.
18, L815, aged •'!'_' years. She was the daughter of
Eben Philips, of Grafton, Mass.

"Sleep soft in dust, wait the Almighty's will ;
Then rise unchanged and be an angel still."

No. 474.— William Woods, died March 23, 1812,
aged 83.

No. 475. — In memory of Naome, wife of William
Woods, who died Sept. 9, 1815, aged 73.

No. 476.— Elijah Woods, died June 19, 1852, aged
74.

No. 477.— Sally, wife of Elijah Woods, died Oct. 9,
is H, aged 66.

No. 478.— Joshua Woods, died Oct. 26, 1820, aged
65.

No. 479.— Charlotte E., wife of Oren Woods, died
Dec. 9, 1834, aged 21. Dinah, wife of Oren Woods,
died Dec. 21, 1850, aged 39.

No. 480.— Samuel Wood, born 1764, died 1846. Abi-
gail Wood, his wife, born 1767. died 1848. Children
of S. and A. Wood: Abigail, born 1793, died 1795;

1 This young man was drowned iu the Ashuelol River.
There was formerly a picket fence with cedar posts around
this grave; one of the posts still standing, having done
service over seventy years.

Harriet, born 1800, died 1802 ; James, born 1807, died
1809 ; Sophia D., born 1804, died 1819 ; Mary A., born
1810, died 1831.

No. 481. — Deacon Samuel Wood, born at Westfield,
Mass., Jan. 3, 1791, died Dec. 29, 1854.

No. 482. — Emily, wife of Dea. Samuel Wood, born
at Lancaster, Mass., July 27, 1795, died April 10,
1857.

No. 483.— Martha Wyman, born Dec. 27,1818, died
Aug. 27, 1819; John, born Aug. 27, 1820, died July
8,1832; Elizabeth Newell, born Feb. 20, 1821, died
July 8, 1844; Samuel, born Feb. 20, 1824, died March
29, 1824 ; Martha Ann, born March 1, 1825, died Sept.
30,1825; Abigail Fosdick, born July 4, 1820, died
Sept. 29, 1826; children of Samuel and Emily Wood.

No. 484. — Laura Ann, daughter of Almon and Jane
Woods, died Jan. 9, 1843, aged 1 year and 6 months.

No. 485. — Ann E., daughter of Henry and Susan
Woods, died June 11, 1857, aged 11 years and 6
months.

No. 486. — In memory of Mrs. Bial, wife of Mr. Jo-
siah Willard, who departed this life March 31, 1805,
in the 26th year of her age.

No. 487. — Jennett, daughter of Roswell and Eliza-
beth Willard, died March 2, 1816, aged 15 months.

No. 488. — Edwin T. and George C, children of
Henry and Sally Willard.

No. 489.— Allie Winnefred Willard, died March 14,
1859, aged 2 years 1 month and 15 days.

" This star went down in beauty,
Yet 'tis shining now
In the bright and dazzling coronet
That decks the Saviour's brow."

No. 490.— Henry W. Willard, of the First New
Hampshire Cavalry, died at Annapolis, Md., March
3, 1865, aged 16 years and 6 months.

No. 491.— Solomon R. Willard, died June 26, 1854,
aged 30; Eunice Trask, his wife, died Oct. 3, 1S~>7,
aged 33.

No. 492.— Daniel Watson, died June 17, 1837,
aged 76.

No. 493. — Susanna, wife of Daniel Watson, died
Feb. 26, 1850, aged 83 years.

No. 494. — Eliza, daughter of Daniel and Susanna
Watson, dieil .Inly 19, 1817, in the 24th year of her
age.

No. 195. — In memory of Capt. David Wilson, who
died Dec. 5, 1818, aged 70 years.

No. 496. — .Mrs. Ellenor, wife of David Wilson and
late widow of Samuel Chapman, died Aug. 26, 1828,
aged 84 years.

No. 497.— Mrs. Becea Wilson, died Feb. 27, 1831,
aged 50 years.

No. 498. — Harriet C, daughter of Joseph and
Roxanna Wilson, died Oct. 29, 1829, aged 10 months.

No. 499. — Charles Wilson, died May 5, 1845, aged
49 years.

KEENE.

No. 500. — An infant daughter of Charles and Flora
S. Wilson, born and died Aug. 28, 1852.

No. 501. — C. D. Wilson, wife of Norman Wilson,
died Oct. 21, 1846, aged 38 years.

No. 502. — Granite monument, David Wilder, Ca-
leb Wilder and Lucy Gowing.

No. 503. — Here lies the body of Mrs. Mary, wife of
John Wilder. She was born the 5th of June, 1781,
and died Oct. 20, 1809, in the 29th year of her age.

" How loved, how valued once avails thee not,
To whom related or by whom begot ;
A heap of dust alone remains of thee,
'Tis all thou art and what we all must be."

No. 504. — In memory of our father, Abel Wihler,
died April 3, 1862, aged 91 years and 7 months.

No. 505. — In memory of Mrs. Mary, wife of Abel
Wilder, who departed this life July 19, 1813, aged 36
years.

No. 506. — Azel, son of Dea. Abijah Wilder, born
Nov. 23, 1788, died April 9, 1860.

" There remaineth a rest to the people of God."

No. 507. — Elvira Warner, Avife of Azel Wilder,
born March 2, 1792, died Jan. 28, 1863.

" Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord ; they
rest from their labors and their works do follow
them."

No. 508. — Charles Johnson, son of Azel and Elvira
Wilder, died Dec. 28, 1818, aged 2 years and 4
months.

No. 509. — Azel Bradley, son of Azel and Elvira
Wilder, born April 3, 1825, died April 30, 1826.

No. 510.— Lucius E. Wilder, died Oct. 23, 1843,
aged 25.

No. 511. — Lauretta, youngest daughter of Azel and
Elvira Wilder, died May 12, 1848, aged 18 years.

No. 512. — Charles J. Wilder, first lieutenant Com-
pany H, Thirty-ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteers,
killed in action at Derbytown Road, Va., Oct. 13,
1864, aged 43 years. Elmina X., widow of Charles
J. Wilder, died Oct. 15, 1867, aged 44 years.

No. 513. — Edward Warner, son of Edward B. and
M. A. Wilder, born Feb. 4, and died Oct. 18, 1864,
aged 8 months and 14 days.

" Little Warner, if my tears fell 'tis not for pain I
weep,
I know that safe in Heaven God will keep
The little babe that with me went to sleep."
No. 514.— Dea. Abijah Wilder, died Jan. 9, 1835,
aged 83 years, who was forty-eight years an esteemed
officer in the church. Mrs. Tamer, fourth wife of
Dea. A. Wilder, died Dec. 16, 1834, aged 85 years.
Sarah, his first wife, died March 8, 1780, aged 28 years.
Martha, his second wife, died March 28, 1774, aged
37 years. Bulah, his third wife, died Dec. 27, 1788,
aged 31 years.

"These all died in faith."

No. 515.— Martha Wilder, died Jan. 27, 1864, aged
82.

" Beloved as daughter, sister and friend,
She hath done what she could.

" During forty-three years Superintendent of the
Sabbath-school. Her house was ever open to the
disciples of Christ for prayer, and her labors were
abundant for the poor, the sick and the afflicted.
These things shall be told of her for a memorial."

No. 516. — Erected to the memory of Dr. Joseph
Wheeler, who died April 23, 1826, aged 46 years.

No. 517. — Erected in memory of Mr. Lynds Whee-
lock, who died May 28, 1825, aged 41.

No. 518. — Sarah F., wife of Lynds Wheelock, died
Oct. 12, 1839, aged 46 years.

No. 519. — Sacred to the memory of Sophia Penne-
man, daughter of Mr. Lynds and Mrs. Sally Wheelock,
who died Aug. 22, 1819, aged 2 years.

No. 520. — Adeline, daughter of Lynds Wheelock,
died April 17, 1829, aged 4 years and 4 months.

No. 521.— David Warren, died Feb. 15, 1835, aged
7 weeks. Susan Iv., Jan. 9, 1840, aged 2 years and 7
months, children of David and Lydia Warren.

No. 522. — Julia, daughter of Luther and Lucinda
White, died Sept. 22, 1846, aged 4 weeks and 2 days.

"Ah ! lovely babe, no sooner mine
Than God the gift reclaim ;
The loss is ours, the gain is thine,
Thy bosom knew no stain."

No. 523. — (Granite monument.) Selden F. White,
born April 16, 1812, died Nov. 22, 1867. Emily W.,
born May 21, 1815, died Dec. 11, 1857. John, born
Feb. 2, 1837, died Sept, 2, 1837. Emily A., born
Nov. 29, 1843, died May 26, 1844. Jennie A., born
Dec. 15, 1851, died Dec. 20, 1853.

No. 524. — Betsey, wife of Shubael White, died May
1, 1838, aged 28.

No. 525. — Miss Palmira Warner, died April 26,
1840, aged 50 years.

No. 526.— Alva Walker, died Oct. 25, 1842, aged 47
years.

No. 527. — Emily N., wife of Benj. E. Webster, of
Boston, Mass., died June 13, 1845, aged 26 years.
" Beloved friends, prepare to meet thy God."

No. 528.— Mary E., wife of E. W. Winchester, died
May 22, 1845, aged 21 years.

" Known only to be loved."

No. .529.— Julia A., daughter of E. W. and M. E.
Winchester, died Aug. 25, 1848, aged 4 years and 10
months.

No. 530.— Miriam, wife of Nathan Willey, died
June 7, 1847, aged 67.

No. 531.— Seth Willey, died March 14, 1863, aged
59.

No. 532.— Charlotte C, wife of Roswell Weeks,
died at Winchester Aug. 6, 1851, aged 55 years.
" I am not lost, but gone before."

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

No. 533.— Ella, daughter of Thos. H. and Martha

W. Williams, died Nov. 2">, 1854, aged 3 years, 1
month and 15 days.

The Old Graveyard at Ash Swamp,
near the JosiAH Sawyer Place. — I learn
from an old citizen that the land for this bury-
ing-ground was given to the district by a man
that formerly owned the Sawyer place (probably
Abraham Wheeler), and that his neighbors and
friends turned out and built the stone wall
around it, the place having been used ever since
by the inhabitants of this part of the town for
a place to bury their dead. Near the entrance
on the right, as you go in, is the Ingersol family
tomb ; it has not been opened for many years.
I have been told that it has been the custom for
a long time to bury the poor and friendless in a
io\\ on the extreme west part of the yard, and
here you will find a long row of" God's poor;"
but my religion teaches me that when the last
trump shall sound, many that were buried here
will have as clear a record as others that have
costly monuments, and had more friends while
on earth.

Among the list of names found on the mon-
uments in this old yard will be found many
that took an active part in the first settlement of
the town, and at this day, although more than
eighty-eight years have passed since the first in-
terment, may be found many of their descend-
ants owning or living on the farms of their
ancestors. The old burying-ground has always
been kept in good order, improvements con-
stantly being made, and now, by taking a few
rods of land on the north, south and west sides,
it would be sufficient for the needs of this part
of the town for another century. The follow-
ing is a list of the interments in this cemetery,
with the inscriptions upon the tombstones :

No. 1.— Sarali 1". Richardson, wife of Niles Aldrich,
died June 3, 1853, aged 22.

"A wife and mother gone

To a better world we trust ;
Angels, watch ye round her tomb,
And guard her peaceful dust.

" Dearest partner, how I miss thee,
And deplore thy loss on earth ;
Though while here I loved thee deeply,
Now I feel and know thy worth.

" And may we, while we mourn the blow,
With filial reverence kiss the rod,
And feel that though she's lost below,
Our daughter, sister, lives with God.

"Dear as thou wert, and justly dear,
We will not weep for thee,
One thought shall check the starting tears —
It is that thou art free."

No. 2.— Polly, wife of Calvin Allen, died Dec. 31,
1863, aged 63.

" We mourn thy loss."

No. 3.— Frank, son of H. H. and F. J. Ashcroft,
died April 17, 1X71, aged 17 days.

" Many hopes lie buried here."

No. 4.— Daniel Bradford, died April 21, 1838, aged
67.

No. 5. — Erected to the memory of Mrs. Sarah, wife
of Daniel Bradford, Esq., a native of Duxbury, Mass.,
who died Nov. 21, 1823, aged 51 years.

No. 6. — Miss Emily, daughter of Daniel and Sarah
Bradford, died June 3d, 1815, aged 17.

" Various are the shafts of death."

No. 7.— Thomas Baker,1 died April 2, 1842, aged 89.
No. 8. — Betsey, wife of Thomas Baker, died Sept.
12, 1839, aged 75.

No. 9. — In memory of Emily, daughter of Mr.
Thomas and Mrs. Betsey Baker, who died March 17th,
1813, in the 9th year of her age.

" So fades the lovely blooming flower,
Frail solace of an hour ;
So soon our transient comforts fly,
And pleasure only blooms to die."
No. 10. — Two infant sons of David and Amanda H.
Baker, died Oct. 2, 1829, and March 29, 1831.
" Departed innocence to memory dear,
Shall oft receive the tribute of a tear,
While fond affections mourn thy early tomb."
No. 11.— David Baker, died April 20, 1868, aged 72
years and 8 months.

" Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
No. 12.— Solomon Blake, died Oct. 30, 1809, in the
32d year of his age.

No. 13.— Dr. Obadiah Blake,2 died June 22, 1810, in
the 92d year of his age.

1 Thomas Baker, in 1 77-">, belonged to the Foot Guard of
Keene ; in 1775 he, with Don Guild and Eliphalet Briggs,
was chosen a committee to put in execution certain resolves
passed by the town, among them one to prevent profane
cursing and swearing ; also to prevent everybody from
spending their time in tippling-houses and being out after
nine o'clock at night.

2 Dr. Obadiah Blake belonged to the Alarm-List of Keene
in 1 77'3 ; he also was chosen one of a committee to hire a
minister in 1761. The Rev. Clement Sumner was settled
about this time, and this committee was voted twelve
pounds, lawful money of the Massachusetts Bay, for the
trouble and charges in providing for the ordination

KEENE.

No. 14. — Lydia, wife of Dr. Obadiah Blake, died
June 28. 1810, aged 77 years.

"Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord."

No. 15. — In memory of Royal Blake, born June 30,
1756, died Oct. 9, 1827.

No. 16. — In memory of Phillis, wife of Royal Blake,
born Nov. 3, 1763, died Sept. 6, 1827.

No. 17.— Eli Blake, died July 14, 1837, aged 70
years.

No. 18. — Deliverance, wife of Eli Blake, died April
14, 1845, aged 70.

No. 19.— Joseph Brown, died Jan. 3, 1836, aged 71.

No. 20. — Keziah, his wife, died Jan. 3, 1836, aged
72.

No. 21.— Ami Brown, died Sept. 27, 1858, aged 88.
Mary E., wife of Ami Brown, died Oct. 23, 1853, aged
87. "

No. 22. — Hepsey, daughter of Ami and Mary E.
Brown, died Oct., 1803, aged 2 years and 9 months.

"Sleep on, sweet child,
And take thy rest,
God hath pronounced
Such children blessed."
No. 23. — Hepsey Brown, died April 6, 1831, in the
24th year of her age.

" Hear what the voice of Heaven proclaims
For all the pious dead ;
Sweet is the savor of their names,
And soft their sleeping bed."

No. 24.— Allen Brown, died July 10, 1840, in the
31st year of his age.

" I leave this world without a tear,
Save for the friends I hold so dear;
To heal their sorrows, Lord, descend,
And to the mourners prove a friend."
No. 25.— Wealthy M., wife of Allen Brown, died
June 29, 1840, in the 28th year of her age.
" Stop each fond parental tear,
And each fraternal sigh,
She is freed from all her troubles here
To dwell with Ood on high."

No. 26. — Sylvia E., wife of Joseph Brown, died
Jan. 10, 1857, aged 51.

" Go, peaceful spirit, rest,

Secure from earth's alarms,
Go sleep upon the Saviour's breast,
Encircled in His arms.

" We weep to see thee die,

We mourn thy absence yet,

O may we meet thee in the sky,

And there our tears forget."

No. 27.— Calvin Brown, died Aug. 31, 1826, in the
35th year of his age.

" My flesh shall slumber in the ground
Till the last trumpet's joyful sound,
Then burst the chains with sweet sunrise
And in my Saviour's image rise."

No. 28.— John F. Brown, died May 18, 1827, in the
34th year of his age.

" Is this the lot that all must die?
Will death no ages spare?
Then let us all to Jesus fly,
And seek for refuge there."

No. 29.— Squire Brown, died Dec. 18, 1829, aged
31.

" Dear companion, now in your bloom,
Behold me mouldering in this dark tomb;
When God doth call us, all must go,
Whether we are prepared or no."
No. 30. — Esther Billings, consort of Mr. Isaac Bil-
lings, died June 1, 1806, aged 64 years.

No. 31.— Sarah Borsh, died April 1, 1852, aged 6
weeks.

No. 32.— Edmund Beebe, died July 3, 1848, aged
40.

" Weep not for me."

No. 33. — Lucinda C, wife of Edmund Beebe, died
Nov. 7, 1855, aged 53.

" Dearest mother, thou hast left us,
Here thy loss we deeply feel.
But 'tis God that hath bereft us ;
He can all our sorrows heal."

No. 34.— Charles E., died Nov. 3, 1836, aged 5£
months ; Elthea Amelia, died March 3, 1846, aged 18
months, children of Edmund and Lucinda C. Beebe.

" Farewell, dear idol of our hearts,
To thee short life was given,
Thy morning broke most sweetly here,
Thy evening closed in Heaven."

No. 35. — Jane M., daughter of Edmund and Lu-
cinda C. Beebe, died Nov. 11, 1857, aged 16 years and
2 months.

" Friends nor physicians could not save,
My mortal body from the grave,
Nor can the grave confine me here —
When Jesus calls I must appear."

No. 36. — Hannah C, wife of Stilman Buss, died
Sept. 13, 1849, aged 37 years.

No. 37. — Mary Jane, daughter of Stilman and Han-
nah C. Buss, died April 11, 1852, aged 13 years.

" Farewell, dear Mary, thou art gone
To join thy mother dear,
And left thy friends to mourn alone
In this cold world so drear.

" But, Mary dear, we hope to meet,
In that world above,
Where those dear friends have gone before,
Where all is peace and love."

No. 38. — Ferdinand, son of Stilman and Hannah
C. Buss, died April 7, 1854, aged 9.

" Farewell, sweet one in Heaven,
Where thou art shining now,

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

I know that sin and sorrow
Are banished from thy brow."

No. 39 — Calvin Bragg, died March 1, 1810, aged
42 years.

No. 40. — Hally, wife of Aaron Gary and former
wife of Calvin Bragg, died Aug. 1, 1840, aged 62
years.

No. 41.— Huldah Bragg, died Dec. 10, 1818, aged
18.

No. 42. — Mary, daughter of Roswell and Rachel
Bragg, died May 1(3, 1841, aged 8 years and 4 months.

No. 43.— Eliza Bragg, died Sept. 20, 1872, aged 63
years 5 months 20 days.

" (<one but not forgotten."

No. 44.— Wm. Britton (2d), died Jan. 28, 1836, aged
62 years. A native of Mansfield, Mass.

No. 45.— Sarah S. Banks, died July 2, 1836, aged 26
years.

Xo. 46. — Rosdelino, daughter of Theodore and
Betsy Bolio, died July 3, 1854, aged 1 year and 12
days.

" Weep not ; to mourn it is not meet,
For all that's earthly sure will lade ;
Look then above and hope to greet
Thy loved one now an angel made."

No. 47.— Andrew H. Blodgett, died May 3, 1872,
aged 58 years.

No. 48.— Charles A. Bates, son of J. M. and Eliza
Bates, died June 16, 1866, aged 11 years and two
months.

" Dearest Charlie, thou hast left us."

No. 49.— John Colony, died June 24, 1797, aged 07
years.

No. 50. — Milly, wife of John Colony, died Jan. 24,
L811, aged 77 years.

Xo. 51.— Timothy Colony, died Aug. 29, 1836, aged
72 years.

Xo. 52. — Sarah, wife of Timothy Colony, died April
27. 1853, aged 82 years.

No. 53. — Mary, daughter of Timothy and Sarah
Colony, died Aug. 22, 1819, aged 20.

Xo. ~>4. — George, son of Timothy and Sarah Colony,
died Feb. i, 1820, aged 9 years.

No. 55. — Lockhart, son of Timothy and Sarah Col-
ony, died December 23, 182:!, aged 23 years.

Xo. 56. — Lucy IT., wife of Charles K. Colony, died
April 21, L856, aged -'iii years.

"I go to my Father."

Xo. ~>7. — Georgcett C, daughter of C. K. and L. II.
Colony, died July 16, 1846, aged 10 months.

" Beautiful and lovely,
She was but given,
A fair hud to earth,
To bloom in Heaven."

Xo. 58. — Roseoe C, son of < '. K. and L. II. ( !olony,
died April 8, 1848, aged 2 months.

"Thou art gone, dearest boy,
Love's bright cord riven,
Thou hast joined little sisters
Now angels in Heaven.'

No. 59. — In memory of Lovey, daughter of Jesse
< 'lark, Jr., and Delano Clark, who died Jan. 22, 1800,
aged 15 years and 8 months.

No. 60. — In memory of Fanny, daughter of Jesse
Clark. Jr., and Delano Clark, who died Sept. 20,1799
aged 1 year and 1 month.

No. 61. — In memory of Mrs. Betsey, relict of Dea.
Simeon Clark, who died Aug. 5, 1817, aged 86 year-.

No. 62.— Gideon Clark, died Sept. 6, 1859, aged 73
years.

No. 63. — Delano Ware, wife of Gideon Clark, died
Oct. 22, 1867, aged 76 years.

No. 64. — Mary M., daughter of Gideon and Delano
Clark, died Oct. 6, 1825, aged 2 years.

No. 65.— Franklin G. Clark,' died Jan 23, 1837,
aged 21 years.

No. 66. — Charles S., son of W. and C. Crane, died
March 8, 1854, aged 6 months.

No. 67. — Charles Cooke, died Aug. 18, 1824, aged
57 years.

No. 68. — Mary, widow of Charles Cooke, died Nov.
23, 1852, aged 81 years.

No. 69. — Harriet M., daughter of Charles and Har-
riet Cooke, died Aug. 19, 1818, aged 3 years and 7
months.

No. 70. — Nancy C. Miller, wife of Wm. P. Cochran,
died Jan. 9, 1871, aged 51 years 1 month and 21
days.

No. 71. — Austin, aged 4 years and 4 months ; Cor-
nelia, aged 2 years and 6 months — children of Wm. P.
and Nancy C. Cochran, died Jan. 9, 1854.

No. 72. — William E., son of Wm. P. Cochran, died
Nov. 25, 1874, aged 19 years 9 months and 1 day.

No. 73. — John Chamberlain, died Aug. 29, 1870, aged
75 years.

Xo. 74. — Sylvia P., wife of John Chamberlain, died
Oct. 28, 1852, aged 55 years.

" Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth."

No. 75. — John Chamberlain, died Aug. 12, 1849,
aged 19 years and 9 months.

" Remember thy ( Jreator in the days of thy youth."

No. 76. — Nancy, wife of John Chamberlain, died
.June 10, L822, aged 24 years ; Olive II.. wile of John
Chamberlain, died April 15, 182ii, aged 34 years.

1 1 was an apprentice with Franklin (!. Clark in my fath-
er's old simp on Washington Street. At the end of hisap-
prenticeship Clark started in the static, with one of my
sisters and her young child, for Troy, X. V. The stage was
overturned, Clark killed, and my sister and child badly
hurt.

KEENE.

No. 77. — Elisba Chamberlain, died June 11, 1840,
in the 78th year of his age.

"Thy virtue and thy worth

Shall fond remembrance cheer,
And ease the aching heart,
That drops the falling tear."

No. 78. — Susannah, wife of Elisba Chamberlain, died
May 16, 1846, aged 80 years.

No. 79.— Ellen E., daughter of Wm. and Mary
Chamberlain, died March 18, 1847, aged 3 years.

No. 80.— Thonas Dwinell, died July 9, 1866, aged
76. Arabella, died Aug. 26, 1865, aged 75, wife of
Thomas Dwinell.

No. 81.— Thomas Dwinell, died April 14,1838, aged
84.

No. 82. — Sarah, wife of Thomas Dwinell, died Nov.
29, 1845, aged 84.

No. 83. — Mary, daughter of Mr. Thomas and Sazy
Dwinell, died 26 July, 1811, aged 13 years 3 months
and 12 days.

No. 84. — Charles F., son of Benjamin and Fanny
Dwinell, died April 24, 1838, aged 7.

No. 85. — Mary Ann, wife of Oren Dickinson, died
April 20, 1840, aged 31.

No. 86. — Elvie, daughter of Oren and Emily Dick-
inson, died Dec. 13, 1858, aged 2 years 2 months and
12 years.

" She is gone, aye gone forever,
Dead to earthly grief and care ;
But she lives in God's own kingdom,
We will hope to meet her there."

No. 87. — Elmer F., son of Oren and Emily Dickin-
son, died June 17, 1864, of wounds received in battle
near Petersburg, Va., aged 23. A member of the 23d
Reg. Mass. Vols.

" He dwelleth in heaven, yet deep in our hearts,
His image is grown and now departs ;
And while we yet linger we watch and we wait,
Till death who has parted again shall unite."

No. 88. — In memory of James Daniels, who died
April 25, 1814, aged 53.

No. 89.— Ezra Daniels, died Sept. 3, 1835, aged
75.

No. 90.— Charles Daniels, died March 6, 1849, aged
46. Minna, his wife, died Dec. 29, 1861, aged 59.

No. 91. — John D., son of Charles and Minna Dan-
iels, died Aug. 23, 1845, aged 3 years and 9 months.

No. 92.— Bethiah, wife of Dea. Eli Dort, departed
this life June 10, 1833, aged 71.

No. 93.— Arvill, wife of Obed Dort, died June 3,
1843, aged 37.

"The storm that wrecks the wintry sky
No more disturbs her calm repose,
Than Summer evening's latest sigh,
That shuts the rose."

(Erected by an affectionate son).

No. 94. — Lewis Edgar, son of Obed and Louisa Dort,
died May 5, 1854, aged 4 years and 6 months.

" My precious boy, a short farewell ;
'Tis hard to part with thee.
But God beheld thee far too pure
For our own society.

" We miss thy lovely face,

Thy sweet and prattling voice ;
Lone and sad your mother is,
Without her lovely boy.

"Dear mother, weep not; tears will hide
My glory from thy view ;
For soon you'll follow me,

And then we'll string the harp anew."

No. 95. — Hannah, consort of Mr. Joshua Durant,
died October 10, 1798, aged 48.

No. 96. — Mrs. Cynthia Emery, died June 5, 1823,
aged 31.

No. 97.— Archelaus Ellis, died Feb. 26, 1845, aged
67.

No. 98. — Mrs. Polly Houghton, wife of Archelaus
Ellis, died July 26, 1865, aged 85.

" We lay thee down with many a sigh,
In the cold lap of Mother earth ;
But thy remembrance shall not die,
Nor the dear memory of thy worth.

No. 99. — Miss Fanny, daughter of Archelaus and
Polly Ellis, died March ]0, 1832, aged 17.

No. 100. — Mrs. Charlotte, daughter of Archelaus
and Polly Ellis, died Jan. 9, 1835, aged 21.

No. 101.— Elmina D., wife of Eugene S. Ellis, died

March 1, 1872, aged 57 years 10 months and 25

days.

" Mother at rest in Heaven."

No. 102.— Mary E., died Sept. 11, 1841, aged 10
months ; Franklin E., died Jan. 18, 1843, aged 10
months; children of Eugene S. and Elmina D.Ellis.

" Here lies the grief of a fond mother and the blasted
expectations of an indulgent father. They lived be-
loved and died lamented."

No. 103.— George S. Ellis, died Oct. 29, 1872, aged 52
years 7 months and 10 days.

" Father at rest."

No. 104.— Nathaniel Ellis, died Nov. 16, 1857, aged
28.

" Dearest husband, thou has left us;
Still thy loss I deeply feel ;
But 'tis God that hath bereft us,
He can all my sorrows heal.

"Yet again I hope to meet thee,
When the day of life is fled;
Then in Heaven with joy to greet thee,
Where no farewell tear is shed."

Rosa Jane, daughter of Nathaniel and Sarah J.
Ellis, died April 12, 1858, aged 1 year and 3 months.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

72.

" Sweet little Rose, have you gone
To join your father dear?
Though hard to part, Ave must not mourn,
But hope to meet you there."

No. 105.— Daniel Fisher died March 30, 1859, aged
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."

No. 106. — Susan Shaw, wife of Daniel Fisher, died
Aug. 8, 1804, aged 66.

No. 107. — Thomas S., son of Daniel and Susan
Fisher, died Feh. 26, 1836, aged 7 months and 7
days.

No. 108. — Daniel H.,son of Daniel and Susan Fish-
er, died Jan. 2, 1841, aged 18 years and 11 months.

No. 109. — Loring S., son of Daniel and Susan Fish-
er, died Sept. 3, 1850, aged 18 years and 6 months.

No. 110. — David Foster, died 7 Jan., 1798, aged
42.

No. 111. — Mary, wife of David Foster, died March
30, 1833, aged 77.

No. 112. — Sally, daughter of Mr. David and Mrs.
Mary Foster, died 24 Aug. 1798, in the 2d year of her
age.

No. 113. — Betsey, daughter of Mr. David and Mrs.
Mary Foster, died 7 Nov. 1810, aged 27 years.

No. 114. — In memory of Mrs. Nancy Foster, who
died Nov. 11, 1824, in the 31styear of her age.

No. 115.— Polly Foster, died April 26, 1848, aged
57.

No. 116. — Samuel Foster, died Dec. 3, 1848, aged
67.

No. 117. — In memory of Abijah Foster, who died
April 2, 1822, aged 59 years.

No. 118. — In memory of Artemisia, wife of Abijah
Foster, who died Jan. 8, 1837, aged 71.

No. 119. — In memory of Capt. George A. Foster,
who died Aug. 15, 1839, aged 41.

No. 120.— Elijah W. Felt, died March 20, 1855,
aged 72.

No. 121.— Ruth, wife of Elijah W. Felt, died March
24, 1855, aged 62.

No. 122.— Susan D., wife of A. O. Field, born Aug.
17, 1844, died April 23, 1866. Edward O., son of
A. O. and S. D. Field, born Jan. 1, 1866, died March
11, 1866.

No. 123. — John Grimes, died Jan. 24, 1X43, aged
80.

No. 124. — Mary S., relict of John Grimes, died Aug.
22, 1847, aged 82 years and 10 months.

No. 125. — John Grimes, Jr., son of Mr. John and
Mrs. Mary Grimes, died 3 Sept., 1813, in the 22d year
of his age.

No. 126. — Our mother, Mary Grimes, wife of the
late Jotham Stearns, died Feb. 3, 1875, aged 7!» years
and 3 months.

No. 127.— Alexander Grimes, died April 13, 1876,
aged 87 years 10 months and 23 days.

No. 128. — Abigail, wife of Alex. Grimes, died Sept.
25, 1869, aged 81 years and li months.

"Asleep in Jesus."

No. 129. — Alexander, son of Alexander and Abigail
Grimes, died Sept. 19, 1826, aged 3 years 3 months
and 11 days.

No. 130.— George Grimes, died Sept. 3, 1865, aged
65.

No. 131. — Sarah A., daughter of George and Har-
riet Grimes, died Dec. 12, 1845, aged 7 years and 8
months.

No. 132.— Hannah Grimes, died March 11, 1876,
aged 78 years and 9 months.

No. 133.— Betsey Grimes, born July 20, 1786, died
Feb. 2(J, 1875, aged 88 years and 7 months.

" We miss thee."

No. 134. — Jesse Grimes, died Sept. 30, 1861, aged
69.

No. 135. — Lucinda Grimes, died April 14, 1875,
aged 78 years 3 months and 23 days.

" She said, when speaking of Jesus : ' He has been
a very i>recious Saviour to me, the chief among ten
thousand and the one altogether lovely.' '

No. 136. — Thomas Henry, son of Thomas and
Nancy E. Grimes, died Sept. 27, 1854, aged 2 weeks
and 4 days.

No. 137.— Ulysses G., died Nov. 9, 1872, aged 2
years 11 months and 21 days. Twin children of
Chauncy A. and Cornelia R. Grimes. Infant daugh-
ter died Nov. 19, 1869.

" I take these little lambs, said he,
And lay them in my breast ;
Protection they shall find in me,
In me be ever blest." '

No. 138.— Aaron Gary, died Dec. 24, 1845, aged
75.

No. 139. — Sally, wife of Aaron Gary, and former
wife of Calvin Brown, died Aug. 1, 1840, aged 62.

No. 140. — Asaph L. Graves, died Sept. 6, 1849, aged
25.

" Happy soul, thy days are ended,
All thy mourning days below;
Go, by angel guards attended,
To the sight of Jesus, go.

" Waiting to receive thy spirit,
Lo ! the Saviour stands above,
Shows the purchase of his merit,
Reaches out the crown of love."

No. 141. — Emily 15., wife of Sewell Gurler, died
Aug. 18, 1863, aged ".0.

"Farewell, dear friend, whose tender care
Has long engaged my love ;

1 The Grimes family were ;i long-lived race. Von may
count up twelve here whose aggregate ages foot up eight
hundred and seventy years, an average of more than sev-
enty-two years. What other family can say as much?

KEENE.

Your fond embrace I now exchange
For other friends above."

No. 142.— Esther M., daughter of S. and E. B.
Gurler, died June 24, 1868, aged 29 years and two
months.

No. 143.— Jacob Hart, died Feb. 19, 185G, aged
80.

" My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the
strength of my heart and my portion forever."

No. 144. — Rachel Haynes, wife of Jacob Hart, died
July 11, 1858, aged 72.

" My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that
watch for the morning."

No. 145. — George J., son of Nehemiah and Ma-
randa E. Hart, died Dec. 23, 1867, aged 23 years 4
months and 15 days.

" How we loved him !"

No. 146.— Fred H., son of W. H. and Nancy S.
Hadley, died April 28, 1872, aged 21.

" I am the resurrection and the life."

Frankie, son of W. H. and N. S. Hadley, died Aug.
9, 1864, aged 11 years.

" Frankie.
" Oh, our darling Frankie,
Thou art gone to-day,
Where no flowers wither,
No roses fade away."

No. 147.— William H. Hadley, died .

Nancy S., his wife, died June 26, 1875, aged 56

years.

" Hadley— Father and Mother."

No. 148. — Jonathan Houghton, died April 8, 1849,

aged 72.

" Father."

No. 149. — Nabby, wife of Jonathan Houghton,
died Aug. 4, 1861, aged 81.

" Mother."

No. 150.— Abijah Houghton, died Dec. 22, 1831,
aged 84.

No. 151. — Alice M., wife of Henry D. Houghton,
died July 28, 1874, aged 23 years and 9 months.

" Free from all life's ills and troubles,
Passed beyond the billow's foam,
Anchored on the rock eternal,
She at last is safe at home."

No. 152.— Mrs. Martha Harvey, died Aug. 2, 1837,

aged 74 years.

" Mother."

Henry, adopted son of Henry and B. H. Mason,
died Sept. 18, 1837, aged 4 years and 7 months.

No. 153. — Francis S. Wilson, wife of Geo. W. Ham,
died Sept. 15, 1867, aged 32. Sammie, son of George
W. and Francis S. Ham, died Feb. 24, 1864, aged 4
years and 13 days.

No. 154. — Nancy S., wife of F. Holman, Esq., died
Oct. 26, 1845, aged 25.

" 'Tis finished, the conflict is past,
The Heaven-born spirit is fled ;
Her wish is accomplished at last,

And now she's entombed with the dead."

No. 155.— Daniel Holbrook, died June 10, 1831,
aged 67.

"My friends, come drop a mournful tear
Upon the dust that slumbers here ;
And when you read this state of me,
Think of the glass that runs for thee."
No. 156. — Joanna, wife of Daniel Holbrook, died
Dec. 29, 1820, in the 54th year of her age.

"Stoop down my thoughts that used to rise,

Converse awhile with death ;

Think how a gasping mortal lies,

And pants away his breath."

No. 157.— Emily N., daughter of A. and M. H.

Kingsbury, died Aug. 13, 1855, aged 3 months.

No. 158.— Mary L., daughter of A. and M. H.
Kingsbury, died May 3, 1864, aged 4 mos.

No. 159. — Arathusa Smith, wife of Isaac Lingsey,
died Jan. 25, 1858, aged 58.

No. 160. — Charlie F., son of Luther and Abby
Moon, died April 26, 1856, aged 2 years.

No. 161. — Eliza J., wife of Frank M. Messinger,
only daughter of John and Sarah L. Smith, died
March 11, 1877, aged 19 years 8 months and 9 days.

" Eliza, asleep in Jesus."
No. 162.— Emma C. Mason, died Sept. 4, 1875, aged
18 years and 7 months. Solon S. Mason, died April
'9, 1871, aged 9 years.

" Sister and Brother."

No. 163. — Henry Mason, died Jan. 25, 1870, aged

" Husband, Father."

No. 164. — Angeline G., wife of Simeon Mason, died
May 5, 1862, aged 38.

No. 165. — Hepsibah, relict of Capt. Thaddeus Met-
calf, died May 1, 1851, aged 87.

"My flesh shall rest in hope."

No. 166.— Capt. Thaddeus Metcalf, died April 11,
1823, aged 64.

" There is rest in Heaven."

No. 167.— William H. Metcalf, M.D., died at
Amoskeag, N. H., Sept. 3, 1842, aged 35.

" Time flies and eternity is thine."

No. 168.— William Norton, died April 6, 1855,
aged 64.

" In your patience possess your souls."

No. 169.— Nathan H., son of Mr. Nathan and Mrs.
Deba Pond, died 15 Feb., 1800, aged 10 years.

No. 170. — In memory of Mr. Joab Pond, who died
Feb. 23, 1820, aged 65.

No. 171. — Joanna, wife of Mr. Joab Pond, died 19
Oct., 1806, in the 52d year of her age.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

" Go home, my friends, and cease from tears,
Here I must lie till Christ appears.
Repent in time while time you have,
There's no repentance in the grave."

No. 172.— Mr. John Plumley, died 5 Nov., 1810,
aged 33 years.

" Go home, my friends, and cease from tears,
Here I must lie till Christ appears.
Repent in time while time you have,
There is no repentance in the grave."

No. 173. — Abigail, wife of Ebenezer Perry, died
Jan. 5, 1875, aged 82. Ebenezer Perry, died June 7,
1846, aged 64.

"Earth's sweetest music on his dull ear falleth,
With an unheeded tone ;
Yet heareth he the still small voice that calleth.

Come, for thy task is done."
(Erected by G. W. Perry.)

No. 174. — Martha Richardson, wife of Geo. W.
Perry, died July 2, 1857, aged 38.

" Earth's love we know has passed away,

Exchanged for love of Heaven more pure,
But thine for us without decay,
Deathless, immortal, shall endure.

" Thou'lt greet us when at length we come,
From sorrow, sin and death set free ;
Receive us to thy Heavenly home,
To share its holy joys with thee."

No. 175. — Lewis S., son of C. K. and Millusa A.
Pemberton, died March 6, 1859, aged 1 year 2 months
and 3 days.

" Little Lewis dear,
Short is the time that intervenes,
And we thy face shall see."

No. 176. — (Marble monument.)
Alden S. Page, born Aug. 27, 1802, died Sept, 5,
1873. Harriett A., died March 4, 1832, aged 1 year
7 months and 14 days. Edgar A., died April 8, 1835,
aged 2 years and 23 days. Louisa H., died March 4,
1846, aged 1 year and 10 months.

No. 177. — Mariette E., daughter of John R. and
Mary A. Preckle, died Aug. 11, 1847, aged 7 months.
" Thou sweet and cherished babe, adieu ;
Thy stay on earth was short ;
But thou wilt live in memory's view,
And never be forgot,"

No. 178. — Zachary Taylor, son of John R. and Mary
A. Preckle. died Oct. 5, 1849, aged 10 months and 22
days.

•' Ere sin could blight or sorrow fade,
Death came with friendly care;
The opening bud to Heaven conveyed,
And bade it blossom there."

No. 179. — Lucretia A., wife of Amos Richardson
(2d), died Dec. 4, 1854, aged 35.

"Am T prepared '.'"

No. 180. — (Granite monument.)
Barzilla Richardson, died April 19, 1850, aged 57.
" Wife, children, oh, how dear !

My pains were cruel and severe ;
My pains arc past, I am at rest,
God orders all things for the best.

"Then rest in hope, ye stricken band,
Till Jesus welcomes you above ;
There will you rest in spirit land,
The husband — Father of your love."

No. 181.— Stephen Russell, died Sept. 5, 1849, aged
82.

No. 182. — Bridget, wife of Stephen Russell, died
March 5, 1844, aged 72.

No. 183. — Sarah, wife of Dr. Dudley Smith, and
daughter of Alex, and Abigail Grimes, died Dec, 17,
1875, aged 59.

No. 184. — To our sister, Louisa F.Smith, died Aug.
23, 1868, aged 48.

" Her trust was in Christ."

No. 185.— Rhoda E., died Sept. 14, 1860, aged 17
years; Willie T., died Jan. 1, 1853, aged 7 years ;
Webbie D., died Jan. 17, 1853, aged 18 months; chil-
dren of Henry W. and Eunice D. Smith.

No. 186. — William, son of Charles and Martha
D. Slyfield, died Jan. 20, 1854, aged 1 year and 6
months.

No. 187— Jeduthun Strickland, died Jan. 6, 1843,
aged 78.

No. 188. — Josiah Sawyer, died July 5, 1876, aged
80 years 1 month and 16 days.

" Father."

No. 189. — Jane, wife of Josiah Sawyer, died Dec.
26, 18(53, aged 64 years 10 months and IS days.

" Mother."

No. 190. — Arvilla C, wife of William W. Sawyer,
died Sept. 6, 1848, aged 29.

No. 191.— John G. Stearns, died Dec. 2, 1840, aged
22 years 4 months and 7 days.

No. 192. — Samuel Towns, died Aug. 11, 1858, aged
77.

No. 193. — Susan, wife of Samuel Towns, died Sept.
2, 1850, aged 63.

No. 194. — Sarah E., daughter of Sam'l and Susan
Towns, died May 6, 1855, aged 24 years.

No. 195. — Maria E., wife of Andrew H. Towns,
died July 30, 1849, aged 27.

No. 196.— John Thayer, died March L9, L833, aged
50.

No. 197. — Sally, wife of John Thayer, died June
14, 1857, aged 74.

No. 198. — In memory of Daniel, son of Caleb and
Chloe Washburn, who died Jan. 25, 1793, aged 8
days.

No. 199. — In memory of Betsey, daughter of Caleb
and ( 'hlne Washhurn, who died Nov. 17, 1800, aged 6
months.

KEENE.

No. 200.— William Winchester, died 11 Aug., 1808,
aged 42 years.

" Here calmly rest, escaped this mortal strife,
Above the joys, beyond the waves of life,
Fierce pangs no more thy faithful bosom stain,
And sternly try thee with long years of pain.

" Life's journey o'er, he closed the willing eye,
'Tis the great birthright of mankind to die ;
Here mixed with earth his ashes must remain,
Till death shall die and mortal rise again."

No. 201. — Sarah Lawrence, consort of William
Winchester, died Aug. 30, 1834, aged 31.

No. 202.— Sarah Winchester, born Oct. 5, 1800,
died May 24, 1850, aged 49.

"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."

No. 203. — Eben Warner, departed this life Jan. 19,
1809, aged 53.

No. 204.— Capt. Isaac Wyman, died April 8, 1835,
aged 79. A soldier of the Revolution.

No. 205 — Lucretia, wife Capt. Isaac Wyman, died
17 May, 1811, in the 53d year of her age.

No. 206. — Capt. Asa Ware, died June 6, 1831, aged
80.

No. 207. — Mary, wife of Captain Asa Ware, died
Aug., 1796, aged 35.

No. 208.— Solomon Woods, died Oct. 29, 1837, aged
65 years.

No. 209.— Widow Elizabeth, relict of Mr. Thomas
Wright, died 10 June, 1802, aged 89.

No. 210.— William Wilson, died Aug. 26,1854, aged
74.

No. 211. — Erected in memory of Susannah, wife of
Mr. William Wilson, who died April 24, 1804, aged
21.

" Great God, I own thy sentence just,
And nature must decay ;
I yield my body to the dust,
To dwell with fellow clay."

No. 212. — Prudence, wife of William Wilson, died
March 21, 1832, aged 53.

No. 213. — Frances S., daughter of Aaron and Olive
Wilson, died Dec. 26, 1834, aged 3 years 3 months
and twelve days.

No. 214. — Florence E., daughter of Joseph and Jo-
anna Wilson, died Sept. 30, 1849, aged 3 years and 6
months.

No. 215. — Fidelia N., wife of Benjamin Wilson, died
Sept. 1, 1851, aged 21 ; also an infant babe, died Sept.
3, aged 3 months and 8 days.

No. 216. — Mary E., daughter of Benjamin and Fi-
delia N.Wilson, died Sept. 14, 1851, aged 2 years and
9 months.

No. 217.— Joseph Wheeler, died July 26, 1867, aged
72 years 7 months and 4 days.

" The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh."

No. 218.— Betsy P., wife of Joseph Wheeler, died
Feb. 11, 1864, aged 66.

" Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."

No. 219.— Solomon Woodward, died Dec. 9, 1838,
aged 70.

No. 220. — Susannah, wife of Solomon Woodward,
died June 6, 1847, aged 75.

No. 221. — William H., son of Solomon and Susan-
nah Woodward, died May 30, 1812, aged 5 years.

No. 222.— Susan Woodward, died June 24, 1840,
aged 31.

The Old Graveyard at the North
Part of the Town. — Away back in the past,
so far back that no man now living can remem-
ber, lived in the town of Keene a man by the
name of Israel Houghton. This Mas one hun-
dred and twenty years, and more, ago. He
owned many acres of land in the north part of
the town. For love and affection, and that his
son John might have lands that he could call
his own, this good father deeded, in 1769, a
farm, from his many acres in the north part, to
his beloved son. This same John Houghton
gave the land from this farm for the North
Burying-Ground, as it was called, about one
hundred years ago. This fact I learned from
the late Mrs. Betsey Houghton, whose husband
was a son of John Houghton. This Captain
John Houghton for many years was a promi-
nent man in Keene ; was one of the selectmen
in 1787, and went from Keene and took part
in the battle of Bennington, 1777. The last
time I saw Mrs. Betsey Houghton, less than a
year ago, she told me this incident of Captain
John : He left Keene for Bennington, and went
around by the way of Albany, X. Y. Here he
called on a notorious Tory, with whom he was
well acquainted. The man being absent, he
demanded of his wife only one large cheese
(he was a farmer, and had plenty of them).
She told him a rebel should never have one of
her cheeses. He then told her if she. refused
he would let the boys in, and they would pi'ob-
ably take all she had ; so she repented, and he
left with a big cheese. He returned safely to
Keene from the battle-field, and here he lived
to the age of seventy -two. He died August
15, 1818, and was buried in this old burying-
ground that he had given to his neighbors so
many years before.

The interments iu this old burying-ground
are as follows :

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

No. 1. — Boardwin Brown, died July 20, 18G7, aged
60 years.

Adeline E., wife of Boardwin Brown, died Sept. 6,
1871, aged 67.

"We trust in God."

No. 2. — MaryC, daughter of Boardwin and Ade-
line E. Brown, died Aug. 26, 1871, aged 33 years.

"Gone home to rest."

No. 3. — Julia A., daughter of Boaxdwin and A. E.
Brown, died June 21, 1863, aged 23.

" Leave ye the body

Beneath the cold sod,
She hath gone homeward
To dwell with her God."

No. 4. — Ruth Bateheller, relict of Breed Batcheller,
died June 26, 1840, aged 94.

No. 5. — Lucius, son of Perley and Mary E. Balch,
died Feb. 15, 1855.

" One sweet flower has bloomed and faded,
One dear infant voice is fled,
One sweet lost bud the grave has shaded,
Our loved Lucius now is dead."

No. 6. — Erected to the memory of Mr. Caleb

Chase, who died April 7, 1814, in the 26th year of his

age.

" Adieu, my friends, a long adieu,

To earthly comforts and to you;

My Jesus calls me for to go

And leave all earthly things below.

Adieu, my young companions all,

From death's arrest no age is free,

Take warning from my sudden call,

And be prepared to follow me."

No. 7. — Sacred to the memory of Capt. Stephen
Chase, who died April 6, 1830, aged 67.

No. 8. — In memory of Betsey, relict of Stephen
Chase, died Aug. 12, 1850, aged 83.

No. 9. — Sarah Louisa, daughter of Stephen and
Louisa Chase, died Feb. 7, 1840, aged 5 years and 5
months.

No. 10. — Juliette Selden, daughter of Stephen and
Louisa Chase, died Sept. 20, 1849, aged 4 years and 6
months.

" Weep not, to mourn it is not meet,
, For all that's earthly sure will fade ;
Look thou above, and hope to greet
Thy loved one, now an angel made."

No. 11. — Ella Augusta, daughter of Stephen and
Louisa chase, died Sept. 26, 1849, aged 1 year and 8
months.

"Dear parents do not weep for me,
My aching heart is now at rest ;
From sin and sorrow I am free,
And with my Saviour I am hlest."
No. 12. — Frank Henry, son of Stephen and Louisa
Chase, died Sept. 23,1856, aged 2 years, 5 months and
9 days.

No. 13. — Edward S., son of Stephen and Louisa
Chase, born Feb. 16, 1851, died June 2, 1860.

No. 14. — Mary Jane, daughter of Stephen and Lou-
isa Chase, born Sept. 15, 1838, died Oct. 30, 1860.

No. 15. — Emily A., daughter of Stephen and Lou-
isa Chase, died Dec. 15, 1867, aged 37.

" Asleep in Jesus."

No. 16.— Alba Chase, born July 13, 1812, died Nov.
18, 1874.

" With us thy name shall live
Through succeeding years,
Embalmed with all our hearts can give,
( )ur praises and our tears."

No. 17.— Charles Chase, born July 17, 1803, died
Aug. 4, 1866.

" He hath gone home."

No. 18.— Charles D. Chase, born Sept. 24, 1840, died
at Jackson, Miss., July 20, 1863 ; member of 9th Reg.
N. H. V.

No. 19. — Lucia M., daughter of Charles and Han-
nah Chase, died Oct. 3, 1859, aged 15 years, 2 months
and 17 days.

" We miss our dear Lucia."

No. 20. — Charles E., son of Charles and Hannah
Chase, died Sept. 15, 1839, aged 1 year, 11 months and
28 days.

No. 21. — George M., son of Charles and Hannah
Chase, died Dec. 20, 1842, aged 5 months.

No. 22.— Ziba Chase, died July 7, 1850, aged 50.

No. 23. — In memory of Stephen, son of Lt. Stephen
Chase and Mrs. Betsey, his wife. He died June 8,
1797, in the 7th year of his age ; whose death was oc-
casioned by the fall of a tree.

" How short the span,
Short from the cradle to the grave !"

No. 24. — Hosea B., son of Hosea and Hannah D.
Chase, died Sept. 26, 1S39, aged 5 weeks.

No. 25. — William H., son of Hosea and Hannah D.
Chase, died Sept. 23, 1860, aged 16 years, 11 months
and 23 days.

"One less to love on earth,
One more to meet in Heaven."

No. 26. — Bela Chase, born Dec. 2, 1795, died Jan.
31, 1868, aged 72.

No. 27.— Charlotte J., daughter of Albert and El-
len M. Church, died Sept. 9, 1850, aged 2 years and 9
months.

No. 28.— William D., son of Albert and Ellen M.
Church, died Aug. 6, 1850, aged 3 years and 10
months.

No. 29. — Nancy, widow of Elihu Dort, wife of
George Allen, died July 13, L875, aged 76.

No. 30.— David I!. Dort, died Jan. 29, 1859, aged
44.

No. 31.— Charles F., died March 24, 1855, aged 2
years, 7 months and 28 days ; an infant son, died Oct.

KEENE.

10, 1849, aged 6 days ; children of David B. and
Frances A. Dort.

" Bud for time,
Blooming in eternity."

No. 32. — Edward C, son of David B. and Frances

A. Dort, died Feb. 10, 1861, aged 5 years and 5

months.

" Too beautiful for earth,

He soared to Heaven."

No. 33. — Annie Durkee, wife of Almon Durkee,
died July 20, 1875, aged 66.

No. 34. — Betsey, wife of John Day, died May, 1805,
aged 52.

No. 35. — In memory of Mr. Ebenezer Day, who
died Jan. 12, 1776, in the 60th year of his age.
" Death conquers all."

No. 36. — In memory of Mrs. Bathsheba Day, relict
of Mr. Ebenezer Day, died Sept. the 5th, 1798, in the
73d year of her age.

" Death is a debt to nature due,
Which I have paid and so must you."

No. 37.— Sabra Day, died Sept. 2, 1840, aged 74.
No. 38.— Benjamin Dwinell, died July 29, 1805,
aged 76.

No. 39. — Mary, wife of Benjamin Dwinell, died
March 5, 1820, aged 92.

No. 40.— Henry Ellis,1 died Aug. 3, 1838, aged 90
years.

" His mind was tranquil and serene,
No terrors in his looks were seen,
His Saviour's smile dispelled the gloom,
And smoothed his passage to the tomb."

No. 41. — Millitiah, relict of Henry Ellis, died April
30, 1850, aged 98.

"She's traveled her appointed years,
And her Deliverer's come,
And wiped away his servant's tears,
And took his exile home."

No. 42.— Samuel Ellis, died Dec. 26, 1861, aged
81.

No. 43.— Sally, wife of Samuel Ellis, died Nov. 14,
1865, aged 79.

No. 44.— Milla Ellis, died Nov. 22, 1870, aged 87.

No. 45.— John Farrar, died Oct. 23, 1856, aged 69.

No. 46.— Martha E. Farrar, died March 30, 1852j
aged 22 years.

No. 47. — Sarah C, wife of Warren Foster, died
March 15, 1841, aged 25.

No. 48. — George Goodnow, died Sept. 4, 1866, aged
117.

No. 49. — Marinda, wife of George Goodnow, died
Jan. 28, 1865, aged 66.

No. 50. — Hannah, daughter of George and Marinda
Goodnow, died Aug. 23, 1858, aged 20.

1 Henry Ellis belonged to the foot company of Keene in
1773.

No. 51. — Emina S., daughter of George and Marin-
da Goodnow, died Aug. 6, 1866, aged 26.

No. 52. — Mary F., daughter of George and Marinda
Goodnow, died Oct. 17, 1872, aged 30.

No. 53.— William Goodnow, died Feb. 4, 1 867, aged
78.

No. 54. — Sarah B., wife of William Goodnow, died
July 12, 1843, aged 45.

" Friends and physicians could not save
My mortal body from the grave,
Nor can the grave confine me here
When Christ my Saviour shall appear."

No. 55. — William K., son of William and Sarah B.
Goodnow, died May 15, 1849, aged 22.

No. 56. — Charles E., son of William and Sarah B.
Goodnow, died March 14, 1855, aged 26.

No. 57. — Emily Baker, daughter of Mr. William
and Mrs. Sarah Goodnow, died Sept. 22, 1832, aged 5
months.

No. 58. — Daniel, son of Mr. William and Mrs. Sa-
rah Goodnow7, died March 16, 1832, aged 9 years.

No. 59. — Mrs. Mary, wife of Mr. William Goodnow,
died Dec. 10, 1831, aged 69.

No. 60. — Henry Goodnow, died Jan. 25, 1844, aged

60.

" He's gone and left this world of sin,

The dark and dismal shore ;

We only part to meet again,

And meet to part no more."

No. 61.— William Goodnow, died March 22, 1809,
aged 58.

No. 62.— Charlotte Goodnow, died July 3, 1823,
aged 21.

No. 63. — Nancy Goodnow, died May 4, 1823, aged
27.

No. 64.— Mary Goodnow, died April 26, 1818, aged
31.

No. 65— Sally Goodnow, died Jan. 28, 1872, aged
79.

No. 66. — Hepsibah Goodnow, died Jan. 18, 1858,
aged 73.

No. 67.— Mary B. Goodnow, died Oct. 3, 1846, aged
28.

No. 68. — Frances R., wife of Willard Gay, died
March 30, 1842, aged 24.

No. 69. — Nancy Graves, died Sept. 7, 1846, aged
80.

No. 70. — Capt. John Houghton, died Aug. 15, 1818,
aged 72.

No. 71.— Relief Houghton, died June 14, 1841,
aged 90.

No. 72. — My husband. Wheelock Houghton died
July 14, 1864, aged 86.

No. 73.— Adin Holbrook, died Aug., 1843, aged 91.

No. 74. — Mrs. Mary, wife of Adin Holbrook, died
July 29, 1^24, aged 66.

No. 75. — Enos Holbrook, born Sept. 17, 1789, died
Aug. 8, 1876.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

No. 76. — Mary K., wife of Enos Holbrook, born
Sept. 10, 1790, died May 24, 1867.

No. 77. — Sarah E. Holbrook, daughter of Enos and
Mary K. Holbrook, born June 13, 1823, died Nov. 6,
1870.

No. 78. — Clarinda A., daughter of Enos and Mary
K. Holbrook, born Aug. 15, 1831, died Oct. 5, 1853.

No. 79.— Nathaniel Kingsbury, died Jan. 26, 1803,
in the 64th year of his age.

No. 80. — In memory of Mrs. Hannah, wife of Mr.
Nathaniel Kingsbury, who died Sept. 25, 1785, in her
47th year.

No. 81.— Rebecca, wife of Nathaniel Kingsbury, died
March 16, 1824, in the 64th year of her age.

No. 82.— Capt. Samuel Kingsbury, died Oct. 10, 1863,
aged 69.

No. 83. — Sarah, wife of Capt. Samuel Kingsbury,
died Oct. 18, 1863, aged 71.

No. 84. — Delilah H., wife of Josiah Kingsbury, died
Dec. 11, 1870, aged 49.

No. 85. — In memory of Mrs. Zilpah Kilburn, wife
of Mr. Jehiel Kilburn, who died Dec. 27, 1804, in the
22d year of her age.

(Made by Moses Wright, of Rockingham, — price,
six dollars.)

No. 86.— George Mansfield, died Feb. 25, 1873, aged
52 years and 8 months.

No. 87. — Susannah T., wife of George Mansfield,
died March 18, 1864, aged 41.

" Not lost, but gone before."

No. 88.— Moses Moody, died Dec. 13, 1845, aged
42.

" Man of the world, as you pass by,

Look here beneath this clod I lie,
And born of frail mortality,
What your lot must surely be,
And when am Kit ion fills your breast,
Think of my lonely place of rest."

No. 89.— Frederic Metcalf, died Sept. 16, 1849, aged
81.

No. 90.— Esther D., wife of Frederick Metcalf, died
Feb. 27, 1847, aged 74.

No. 91.— Betsey G. Metcalf, died July, 1741, aged
44.

No. 92. — William F., son of William and Amanda
Metcalf, born Dec. 9, 1839, died April 2.1, 1872.

No. 93.— Our dear little Eddie. Died April 17,
1860, aged 5 years 1 month and 26 days.

" Not lost but gone before."

No. 94. — Infant son, aged 2 weeks.

Xo. 95. — Harriet Mary, daughter of William and
Amanda Metcalf, died Aug. 12, 1839, aged 1 year ami
6 months.

No. 96. — Harriet Mary, daughter of William and
Amanda Metcalf, died Dec. 13, 1837, aged 2 years and
2 months.

No. 97. — Edward <!.. son of William and Amanda

Metcalf, died April 25, 1853, aged 9 years and 10
months.

" Affectionate in life, lovely in death."

No. 98.— Levi Pond, died Oct. 8, 1870, aged 77.

" We have kissed the pale lips forever closed,
And laid him gently to rest."

No. 99. — Our Mabel. Mabel E., daughter of A. and
E. Pond, died March 24, 1868, aged 8 years and 7
months.

" Mabel dear, how we miss
Her gentle footsteps now,
The low soft tones — the pleasant smile,
The sweet and sunny brow.

No. 100. — In memory of Jonathan Pond,1 who died
March 5, 1817, aged 77.

No. 101. — In memory of Mrs. Thankful Pond, who
died Sept. 16, 1821, aged 77.

No. 102.— Phinehas Pond, died June 12,1837, aged
70.

No. 103.— Louis Pond, died Oct. 12, 1842, aged 71.

No. 104.— Fibster Pond, died Nov. 16, 1842, aged 61
years.

No. 105.— Philinda Pond, died Oct. 22, 1862, aged

59.

" My glass is run."

No. 106. — Edmund J. Perhain, member of the 9th
Reg.N. H. V., died at Knoxville, Md., Oct. 26, 1862,
aged 37.

" Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted."

No. 107.— Martha S., wife of E. J. Perham, born
Nov. 10, 1836, died Feb. 13, 1860.

" Blessed are the pure in heart, lor they shall see
God."

An infant of E. J. and M. S. Perham, born Feb. 7,
died Feb. 9, 1860.

No. 108.— Silas Perry,2 born April 14,1763, died
June 3, 1852, aged 89 years 1 month and 20 days.

No. 109. — Catherine, wife of Silas Perry, died Jan.
4, 1830, aged 66.

No. 110. — (Marble monument). Perry.

Joseph Perry,3 born March 30, 1788, died June 17,
1865. Lydia Perry, his wife, horn Feb. 23, 1787, died
.July 25, 1871.

No. 111.— Aaron Reed, born April 30, 1791, died
July 21, 1859.

1 Jonathan Pond's name is on the muster-roll as belong-
ing to the foot company in Keene in 177:;.

'-' Silas Perry came to Keene about the year 1792, having
enlisted in the war from Westminster, Mass. He was one
of the guard at the execution of .Major Andre.

:1 Joseph l'erry was a great mathematician besides a life-
long Democrat. A short time before he died I askeil him
to explain to me the difference between a Republican and
a Democrat. His reply was the ins and the outs.

KEENE.

No. 112.— Diantha P., born Feb. 10, 1824, died Aug.
7, 1852; Henry W., born April 25, 1827, died March
19, 1832 ; Charles J., born April 15, 1832, died March
31, 1833, children of Aaron and Mary Eeed.

No. 113.— Paschal E., died Dec. 3, 1812, aged 15
years; George L., died Aug. 12, 1833, aged 8 years;
Lydia Ann, died May 26, 1833, aged 9 months, chil-
dren of Obadiah and Mary Reed.

No. 114.— Cornelius Sturtevant,1 died March 8, 1826,
aged 91.

No. 115. — Sarah, wife of Cornelius Sturtevant, died
April 25, 1826, aged 88.

No. 116. — In memory of Mrs. Elizabeth, widow of
Mr. Cornelius Sturtevant, of Plympton, Mass., died
May 16, 1790, in the 89th year of her age.

No. 117. — This monument is erected to the memory
of Mr. Luke Sturtevant, who was instantly killed by
the fall of a tree June 22, 1811, aged 43.
" Reader, behold as you pass by,
As you are now so once was I ;
As I am now so you must be,
Prepare for death and follow me."

No. 118. — Abigail, wife of Luke Sturtevant, died
Sept. 19, 1839, aged 64.

No. 119.— John A. Sturtevant, died July 11, 1832,
aged 27.

No. 120. — Abigail F., wife of Warner C. Sturtevant,
died June 13, 1843, aged 32.

No. 121.— Luther Sturtevant, died Dec. 31, 1863,
aged 89.

No. 122. — Azubah, wife of Luther Sturtevant, died
Dec. 15, 1849, aged 76.

No. 123. — In memory of Maj. Isaac Sturtevant, who
died July 5, 1816, aged 39 years.

" Beneath the sacred honors of the tomb,
In awful silence and majestic gloom ;
The man of mercy conceals his head
Amidst the silent mansions of the dead.
No more his liberal hand shall help the poor,
Relieve distress and soften joy no more."

1 The Sturtevant family have been identified with the
town of Keene almost from its first settlement to the pres-
ent day. Cornelius Sturtevant was born in 1 735, only
three years after the first settlement of the town (1732).
Coming from Massachusetts to Keene when it was but a
wilderness, he first settled just across the line in Gilsum,
and lived in a log house ; his descendants are still living
here, even to the fifth generation. Cornelius was a school-
teacher as well as a farmer. He raised a large family.
We of the present genei'ation remember many of his
grandchildren. George AV., Isaac, Charles, Fanny, Luther,
Linda, Warner and many more of them, all good, substan-
tial citizen. Genl. John W. Sturtevant, a great-great-grand-
son of Cornelius, is one of our leading citizens, a member of
the firm of G. H. Tilden & Co. He is a member of the
present Board of Education, and is also a representative
from Keene in the Legislature.

No. 124. — In memory of Jemima Tiffany, who de-
parted this life Feb. 7, 1789, in the 78th year of her
age.

No. 125. — Erected to the memory of Mr. Joseph

Turner, who died April 5, 1818, in the 75th year of his

age.

" My glass is run.

Stop, traveller, don't heedless pass me by,

But stop and shed a tear and heave a sigh,

Here lies a man whose heart was kind and free,

Who was ever loved with godlike charity."

No. 126.— Isaiah Wilder, died in Gilsum Oct. 11,
1867, aged 85 years and 7 months.

No. 127. — Saloma, wife of Isaiah Wilder, died Jan.
28, 1849, aged 60.

No. 128. — Juliette Augusta, daughter of David and
Betsey Wood, died April 6, 1863, aged 12 years and 6
months.

No. 129. — Ella Mariah, daughter of David and
Betsey Wood, died March 11, 1863, aged 10 years and
6 months.

No. 130.— Abijah Willson, died May 28, 1854, aged
86.

No. 131. — Phebe, wife of Abijah Willson, died June
20, 1840, aged 73 years.

No. 132. — Rebecca, wife of Abijah Willson, died
Oct. 22, 1852, aged 74.

No. 133.— Phebe, died Aug. 27, 1803, aged 2 years
and 6 months. Uriah, died Sept, 8, 1803, aged 14
years and 8 months. Avery, died at Mobile, Ala.,
March 12, 1837, aged 29.

No. 134.— George Willson, died Feb. 22, 1873, aged
63 years, 3 months and 3 days.

" Gone but not forgotten."

No. 135. — In memory of Relief, daughter of Mr.
Joshua Washburn and Hepsibah, his wife, who died
Dec. 20, 1791, aged 2 years, 4 months and 20 days.

" As I am now so you must be,
Therefore prepare to follow me."

No. 136.— George P. Wetherbee, died July 17,
1836, aged 20.

No. 137.— Mr. Phinehas Wright, died May 6, 1812,
aged 60.

No. 138.— Mrs. Zilpah Wright, died Sept. 30, 1841,
aged 85.

Cornelius Sturtevant, Jr., published a newspaper in
Keene called the Rising Sun, before the New Hampshire
Sentinel was started by Mr. John Prentiss. He left Keene,
went into the army, and died in Piketon, Ohio, August 2,
1821, at., the age of fifty. The late George W. Sturtevant
was a small boy when his Uncle Luke was killed by the fall
of a tree. He was told to get out of the way, as the tree
might fall on him ; but, instead, his uncle was instantly
killed. The present generation know but little of the
trials and hardships of their ancestors ; their real life was,
many times, stranger than fiction.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

No. 139. —In memory of Fanny, daughter of Mr.
Phinehas Wright and Zilpah, his wife, who died
Aug. 5, 1803, in the 8th year of her age. In memory
of Roxana, daughter of Mr. Phinehas Wright and
Zilpah, his wife, who died Aug. 5, 1803, in the 12th
year of her age.

No. 140. — In memory of Miss Rehecca Wright,
daughter of Mr. Phinehas Wright and Zilpah, his
wife, who died March 2, 1804, in the 25th year of her
age.

No. 141.— Caleb Wright, died Nov. 21, 1869, aged
75 years and 9 months.

No. 142. — Sarah, wife of Caleb Wright, died Nov.
16, 1838, aged 42.

No. 143.— Betsey P., wife of Charles Wright, died
Dec. 20, 1858, aged 39.

The Old Graveyard ox West Hill. —
This graveyard is just off the road that leads to
Westmoreland, near Mr. Benjamin F. Foster's
farm. Probably nine-tenths of the people in
town are not aware that there is such a
graveyard in Keene ; but those of us who have
always lived here and have seen fifty winters or
mi >re, will,, as we read the inscriptions on these
monuments, have many of the old faces brought
before us again. The most ancient monument
in this yard is dated 1798; the latest, 1868.
There are thirty-eight monuments in good
condition ; there arc two others whose in-
scriptions are illegible, and quite a number
of graves arc marked with a granite head-
stone with no inscription. On the thirty-
eight monuments I find only five died under
the age of five years ; two between twenty and
forty; four between forty and fifty; thirteen
between fifty and seventy ; seven between sev-
enty and ninety ; and one lived to the great age
of ninety-two, showing conclusively that the
west side of the Ashuelot River is the healthiest
part of Keene. The following is a list of the
inscriptions upon the tombstones:

No. 1. — Horatio S. Black, died Nov. 14, 1841, aged
3 years and 2 days. Charles H., died July 6, 1841,
aged 6 weeks. Sebrina J., died June 1, 1840 ; chil-
dren of S. and M. L. Black.

.No. 2. — Emma A., daughter of 8. and M. L. Black,
died Sept. 27, 1863, aged 2 years 10 months and 10
days.

" Our little prattling Emma,
Our loved and cherished one,
Went home to dwell with Jesus
At the setting of the sun.''

No. 3. — In memory of John Balch, who died March

15, 1824, aged 66. A Bevolutionary soldier.

No. 4. — Lucy, wife of John Balch, died June 5,
1831, aged 69.

No. 5. — Andrew Balch, died May 26, 1845, aged 58.

No. 6.— Olive A. F., died July 23, 1822, aged 11
months. Philinda, died Sept. 3, 1826, aged 15 months ;
daughters of Andrew and Louisa Balch.

No. 7. — In memory of Roslinda Balch, who died
Aug. 23, 1824, aged 23.

" That once loved form now cold and dead,
Each mournful thought employ.''

No. 8. — Balcarras Craig, died May 6, 1850, aged 63.
No. 9. — Betsy, wife of Balcarras Craig, died Nov.

16, 1863, aged 80 years and 6 months.

No. 10. — Lizzianua, daughter of Thomas and Eliz-
abeth Craige, died July 23, 1856, aged 17 months and
2 days.

" Sleep on, sweet babe, and take thy rest ;
God called thee home when He thought best."

No. 11.— William Dickinson, died Jan. 20, 1847,
aged 62.

No. 12. — Roxsalana, wife of William Dickinson,
died Feb. 6, 1833, aged 44 years.

No. 13. — Francis, son of Abraham and Mary Dick-
inson, died March 28, 1847, aged 18 years and 8
months.

" Beloved in life, lamented in death."

No. 14. — Emery Dickinson, died Sept. 25, 1868,
aged 57 years and 9 months.

No. 15. — In memory of widow Sarah Eaton, who
died Feb. 6, 1812, in the 24th year of her age.

No. 16.— Thomas Gurler, died Oct. 9, 1858, aged 83.

" The slumberer shall awake ; the unsealed eye see
its Redeemer, and although the worm destroy this
body, yet the dead shall rise to immortality."

No. 17. — Susannah, wife of Thomas Gurler, died
Sept. 14, 1835, aged 57.

" Blessed are they who die in the Lord."

No. 18.— Granite (stone), 1798.

No. 19. — Sarah, wife of John T. Harvy, died March

16, 1853, aged 48.

No. 20. — Nabby, wife of Isaac Miller, died Aug.

17, 1830, aged 46.

No. 21. — Joseph, son of Alonzo and Crissana May-
nard, died May 8, 1838, aged 3 years and 6 months.

No. 22. — Rufus Henry, son of Liberty and Clarrisa
Page, died Dec. 26, 1856, aged 17 years 7 months and
11 days.

No. 23. — Martha J., daughter of Liberty and Clar-
risa Page, died Oct. 12, 1852, aged 1 year and 21 days.

No. 24. — Simeon, son of Liberty and Clarrisa Page,
died March 11, 1838, aged 6 months and 13 days.

No. 25. — In memory of George, son of Mr. Levi
and Mrs. Lucy Pattridge, who died January, 1803,
aged 22 months.

KEENE.

No. 26.— In memory of Mrs. Lydia Pattridge, who
died November, 1798, aged 51.

" Virtue now receive a reward,
And every grace with sweet accord
Shall now unite to praise the Lord,
In hallelujahs to our God."

No. 27.— Joseph Sylvester, died Feb. 16, 1824, aged
80 years.

No. 28.— Mahitable, wife of Joseph Sylvester, died
March 9, 1824, aged 70 years.

No. 29.— Dea. Daniel Snow, died May 15, 1806,
aged 80 years.

No. 30. — Abigail, wife of Dea. Daniel Snow, died
March 29, 1805, aged 75.

No. 31. — Esther, wife of Dea. John Snow, died Feb.
20, 1820. aged 51.

No. 32.— Silas Williams, died Oct. 21, 1829, aged
88 years. Erected by their daughter Elizabeth.

" Gone but not forgotten.''
No. 33. — Charity, wife of Silas Williams, died
March 26, 1859, aged 92 years.

" Absent but dear."
No. 34. — Esther P., daughter of Jason and Sally
Williams, died Sept. 17, 1830, aged 4 years.

No. 35. — Charles E., son of Jason and Sally Wil-
liams, died March 16, 1836, aged 4 months and 16
days.

No. 36. — Cynthia Jane, daughter of Jason and
Sally Williams, died June 24, 1852, aged 18 years 11
months aud 15 days.

" Dear Cynthia, we loved thee."

No. 37.— Eliphalet Wilber, died June 29, 1841,
aged 57 years.

" My children dear, as you draw near,
Your father's grave you'll see,
Not long ago I was with you,
But soon you'll be with me."

No. 38.— James Wilson, died May 14, 1837, aged 63
years. Rebecca, wife of James Wilson, died'' June 26,
1835, aged 46 years.

The Old Graveyard at Ash Swamp. —
At a meeting of the proprietors held February 23,
1 762, it was voted that the neck of land where
Isaac Clark and Amos Foster were buried be
appropriated and set apart for a burying-place
for the town. This land had been used for a
burying-place for some years before 1762, but
at this time it was set apart from the common
land, by the original proprietors, to be forever
kept as a burying-place. Here I find a monu-
ment erected to the memory of Amos Foster,
who died in March, 1761, so I am sure this
neck of land is the one meant in the old records,

thus conclusively proving this to be the oldest
place of burial in town. There are indica-
tions to show that there have been buried in
this old burying-place about one hundred ; but
to-day there are but eleven monuments to be
found, and on some of these the inscriptions
cannot be made out, and in a few short years
no monument will be left in this, the first bury-
ing-place of the fathers of Keene, to mark the
spot where their bones lie.

Isaac Clark was buried in this burying-place,
but no monument marks the spot. His home
stood near where Mr. Leonard Wright now
lives. Possibly there is not a soul now living
in Keene to-day that cares a straw whether
Isaac Clark ever lived or died ; but let us see
what the original proprietors of the town
thought of him, some one hundred and forty-six
years ago (January 7, 1740). They voted to
make such grant of land to such persons as
they shall think desire the same, for hazarding
their lives and estate by living here to bring
forward the settling of the place. Under this
vote Isaac Clark was granted ten acres' of up-
land. He was chosen at the first meeting of
the proprietors, held on the first Wednesday of
May, 1753, to survey the lands and run the
bounds. (This wTas when the charter of the
town wyas first adopted.) Isaac Clark died
about 1761. His estate was settled by Ephraim
Dorman, the man that called the first legal
town-meeting Keene ever held. Isaac Clark
once owned four hundred acres of land in Ash
Swamp. The old records tell us that he was
baptized in Boxford, Mass., February 1, 1713;
lived in Ashuelot and Keene, N. H. His will
was proved March 25, 1761. He married
Mary Dorman, daughter of Ephraim Dorman,
December 22, 1751. She died before 1761.
He left no issue.

In 1 746, when Isaac Clark's wife was a girl,
about one hundred Indians appeared in the town
and killed a number of the inhabitants (this
was the time they surrounded Nathan Blake's
barn, making him prisoner and taking him to
Canada). Mrs. Clark was at a barn some fifty
rods distant ; leaving it, she espied an Indian
near her, who threw away his gun and advanced
to make her his prisoner, thinking it an easy

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

task to catch a white squaw. She gathered up
her clothes around her waist and started for the
fort (near the Dr. Adams place, where Mr.
Lemuel Hay ward now lives). She, animated
by cheers from her friends, outran her pursuer,
who skulked back for his gun. Isaac Clark
and wife were buried in this old burying-place,
but in what grave no man can tell, as the marble
that marked the spot has entirely disappeared.
The following is a list of the inscriptions on all
the monuments now standing:

No. 1. — In memory of Mrs. Hannah, wife of Mr.
Royal Blake, who Dec'd Nov. ye 21st, 1779, aged 19
years.

No. 2. — In memory of Joseph, son "of Mr. Royal
Blake l & Mrs. Hannah, his wife, he Dec'd Nov. ye
7th, aged 12 weeks.

No. 3. — In memory of Mrs. Zipporah Blake, wife
of Doct. Obadiak Blake, who Dec'd Feb. 25, 1785,
aged 57 years.2

1 Royal Blake was a member of the foot company, 1773.
He died October 9, 1827, aged seventy-one, and was buried
in the old yard rear the Sawyer place.

2 Clement Sumner was the first settled gospel minister
of the town (April 27, 1761). Dr. Obadiah Blake was one
of the committee to make the settlement. This committee
was voted twelve pounds, lawful money of the Massachu-
setts Bay, for the trouble and charge in providing for the
counsel at Mr. Sumner's ordination ; also five pounds for
paying Mr. Sumner for five weeks' preaching before his
settlement. It was voted by the town this year that " the
Rev. Mr. Sumner's salary be stated on commodities as
they be now, and so from year to year. Commodities as
they be now : wheat at 3s. 2\d. sterling per bushel ; pork
at Zd. per pound ; beef at 2d. per pound ; Indian corn at
] s. 8d. per bushel ; rye at 2s. 6d. per bushel; labour in
the summer at 2s. per day." This was afterwards recorded
upon the suggestion of Mr. Sumner that the article of beef
was stated above the market price. Dr. Blake was one of
t lie selectmen in 1762; he also belonged to the alarm-list
in 177o. He has one grandson still living, — Mr. Cyrus
Blake, now living in Newton, Mass., an old man. Justin
D. Blake, of Ash Swamp, Oscar and Orinan Colony, of the
Cheshire Republican, and Joshua D. Blake, of Surry, are
great- grandsons. The Blake family was noted for their
great strength. Joshua D. Colony told me that on one
occasion his father, with his horse and wagon loaded
with one thousand brick, got stuck in the mini near where
Deacon Binney used to live, and was about unloading,
when Royal Blake came along and told him to hold on
a minute. He crawled under the wagon and, putting his
shoulder under the axle-tree, told Colony when he heard
the old wagon crack to put on the lick. The load was
lifted and he drove along. He was also known to take a
barrel of cider out of his cart alone and carry it into the
cellar.

No. 4.— Dea. Simeon Clark,1 died 9 Dec, 1793, aged
70.

No. 5. — Unity Durant, Consort of Mr. Joshua Du-
mmy2 died 29 Nov., 1781, aged 20.

No. 6. — Here lies the Body of Mr. Naham, who
Dec'd [the rest obliterated].

No. 7. — Ellis , Henry , Jedatiah Foster [the

rest gone].

No. 8. — Here lies buried Mr. Amos Foster/ who
Dec'd March the 22, 1761, in the 40th year of his age.

No. 9.— My Father.

No. 10.— In Memory of Mrs. Hannah, Wife of Mr.
John Grundy, Jun'r, who Dec'd Oct. 3, 1783, in ye 31
year of her age.

"Here lies the grief of a fond mother,
She was a dear and dutiful daughter,
A kind wife and a tender mother.
Reader, behold as you pass by,
As you are living, once was I."

No. 11. — In memory of Mary, Daughter of Jere-
miah Stiles, Esq.,4 & Mrs. Mary, his wife ; she Dec'd
April ye 17, 1781, aged 1 Day.

i He belonged to the foot company, 1773. In 1778 was
paid £2 2s. Ad., balance for serving in the late war.

2 He lived on the Baker place, Ash Swamp. Our Mr.
Joshua D. Colony was named after Mr. Joshua Durant,
and to show that it meant something in those days, the
boy was presented with a fine wool sheep.

3 Amos Foster left, by will, one-half of his property to
the town. The value of the legacy is not known ; but, in
August, 1702, the town voted that Mr. Sumner's settlement
and his salary for the first year should be paid from this
fund.

4 Jeremiah Stiles was the writer's great-grandfather. He
was a man whom the town of Keene delighted to honor,
for he was in some office in the town from February 15,
1769, until his death, December 6, 1800 — more than thirty
years. He lived on the corner of Cross and Washington
Streets, where Mr. Clark's house now stands. He be-
longed to the foot company in 1773, to the Committee of
Safety, 1776, was a representative of the town, delegate to
the Constitutional Convention held at Concord, 1778, se-
lectman, town clerk, assessor, petit and grand juryman,
moderator in town-meeting, one of the committee to ar-
range for the settlement of the Rev. Aaron Hall, and a
subscriber to the fund to purchase the first town-clock
ever in Keene, in 1797. He and his good wife, Mary,
were buried in the old graveyard on Washington Street.
Now will the present generation consent to have that neck
of land set apart by the first settlers for a place to bury
their dead be plowed up and planted, as was the case of
the old yard on the Robinson farm ? I can't yet quite be-
lieve it, but time will tell.

The town voted, March 3, 1780, to fence the several
burying-places in the town and draw a committee of four
for that purpose, who are hereby authorized to call on their
neighbors to turn out and do said work without any cost or
charge to the town. Chose Major Willard, .Michael Metcalf,

KEENE.

CHAPTER VI.

KEENE— ( Continued).
BANKING INTEREST.

The Cheshire National Bank— The Ashuelot National Bank
—The Keene National Bank— The Citizens' National Bank
—The Cheshire Provident Institution for Savings— The
Keene Five-Cent Savings-Bank— Keene Guarantee Sav-
ings-Bank.

The Cheshire Bank was chartered with a
capital of $100,000, by the State of New
Hampshire, in 1803, for a period of twenty
years, or till 1824; then till 1844, and again
till 1864, inclusive. The original corporators
were Judge Daniel Newcomb, Noah Cooke, Esq.,
and Elijah Dunbar, Esq. John G. Bond,
Judge Newcomb's son-in-law, procured most of
the stock subscriptions, among which are the
names of Samuel and Nathan Appleton, Eben
Francis, Stephen Salsbury, John Bellows, Josiah
Knapp and several others of Boston, Daniel
Newcomb, John G. Bond, William Lamson,
Moses Johnson, Alexander Ralston, Stephen
Harriugton, Eben Stearns, Joseph Hayward
and Foster and Luther Alexander, of Cheshire
County, with fifty-five others on the list.

The first building for the bank was of brick,
two stories high, and was taken down in 1847
to make way for the Cheshire Railroad's pas-
senger station. Daniel Newcomb was president
from 1804 to 1811, when he resigned, and in
the " war period," soon after, the bank struggled
against insolvency till November, 1813, when
Samuel Grant was chosen president and Na-
thaniel Dana cashier, in place of Arba Cady
(who was elected February, 1806, and whose
predecessor was E. Dunbar), and a revival of
credit and business secured. Mr. Grant was
president till July, 1829, and Salma Hale, his
successor, till March, 1842, at which time Levi
Chamberlain was made president, and steps
were taken to reorganize the bank under its
amended charter, available from 1844 to 1864,
inclusive. In this reorganization John Elliot

Levi Pattridge and Captain John Houghton." A vote was
passed, August 27, 1792, to fence the several burying-
grounds ; also, in March, 1795, and July 25, 1795, the town
was divided into districts for burying their dead.

was chosen president; was succeeded in 1856
by Levi Chamberlain and in 1861 by John
Henry Elliot, under whom, at the expiration of
its charter, the bank was made national, with a
capital of $200,000. James Henry Williams
was cashier from 1841 to 1847, then Zebina
Newell till 1855, then Royal H. Porter, when
the bank's State charter expired. He continues
to be cashier at this writing, with John Henry
Elliot as president. The bank's present granite
building was erected in 1847, and has all the
modern defenses against invasion.

The Ashuelot Bank, of Keene, was incor-
porated January 2, 1833, with a charter for
twenty years, and commenced business early in
that year. The corporators named in the charter
were John H. Fuller, Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr..
Phineas Fisk, John Elliot and Justus Perry,
and the first meeting was held at Stephen Har-
rington's hotel on February 19, 1833, when
forty-rive additional members were admitted to
the corporation, making in all fifty.

The present banking-house was built in
1833, under the direction of John Elliot, at a
cost of $2998.24.

The first board of directors were Samuel
Dinsmoor, John H. Fuller, Thomas M. Ed-
wards, William Buffum, George S. Root, Phin-
eas Handerson and Benjamin F. Adams, the
last-named being the only surviving member.

The first president was Samuel Dinsmoor,
who served until his death, in 1835. He was
succeeded by his son, Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr.,
who was continued in the office until he resigned,
in 1853.

Thomas M. Edwards was chosen president in
1853, and held the office till elected to Congress,
in 1859, when he resigned, and William Dins-
moor succeeded him, and was annually re-elected
until his resignation, in 1869, when Mr. Ed-
wards was again chosen, and held the office till
his death, in 1875. George A. Wheelock was
appointed president upon the death of Mr.
Edwards, in 1875, and has been annually re-
elected since.

Two Governors of the State and one Repre-
sentative in Congress are among the foregoing
list of presidents of this bank.

Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr., was cashier from

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

March, 1833, to June, 1835; Henry Seymour,
from June, 1835, to August, 1836 ; Thomas H.
Leverett, from August, 183(3, to June, 1869;
and Henry O. Coolidge, from June, 1869, to
the present time.

The hank was rechartered December 1 7,
1852, and was converted into a national organi-
zation February 17, 1865, under the name of
" The Ashuelot National Bank of Keene," and
its corporate existence has been extended to
February 17, 1905.

The original capital was $100,000. In July,
1875, it was increased to $150,000.

The present board of directors consist of
George A. Wheelock (president), Caleb T. Buf-
fum, Charles J. Amidon, John M. Parker, Al-
fred T. Batchelder, Henry O. Coolidge and
Christopher Robb.

Keene National Bank. — The Cheshire
County Bank was organized August 11, 1855.
First Board of Directors, Zebina Newell, George
Huntington, William Haile, Frederick Vose,
Amos A. Parker, Lawson Robertson and Har-
vey A. Bill ; Presidents, Zebina Newell, Fred-
erick Vose, Edward Joslin ; Cashiers, George
\Y. I'il den and J. R. Beal.

Mr. Xewcll held the office of president from
organization till his death, March 29, 1858.
Succeeded by Frederick Vose, who held the office
till his death, November 24, 1871. Succeeded
by Edwin Joslin, the present incumbent.

George W. Tilden held the office of cashier
from first organization till his death, February
8, 1879. Succeeded by J. R. Beal, the present
incumbent. It was organized as a national
bank February 7, 1865.

First board of directors: Frederick Vose,
John Bowker, Edward Joslin, Amos F. Fiske,
Reuben Stewart and Horatio Kimball.

Original capital, 8100,000; present capital,
the same.

Present board of directors: Edward Joslin,
John Bowker, Elisha F. Lane, Josiah G. Bel-
lows and Alfred T. Batchelder.

This bank occupies its own banking-house,
having purchased the building of Henry Pond
when the Cheshire County Bank was organized ;
rearranged and made substantial improvements
to the building during the year 1883.

Citizens' National Bank was incorporated

September 18, 1875, and commenced business
October 1, 1875, No. 2299, with a capital of
SI 00,000.

The first board of directors were William
Haile, Henry Colony, Stephen D. Osborne,
Caleb T. BufFum, James Burnap, Samuel W.
Hale and Daniel W. Tenney ; President,
Stephen D. Osborne; Cashier, Obed G.
Dort.

In January, L878, Obed G. Dort was elected
president and Henry S. Martin cashier, and
continued in office until the present (1885).
Present capital, $100,000; surplus, $25,000.

Present officers: Obed G. Dort, president;
H.S.Martin, cashier; Obed (i. Dort, James
Burnap, John Symonds, Elijah Boyden, Sam-
uel W. Hale,' Clark N. Chandler and William
P. Chamberlain, directors.

Cheshire Provident Institution for
SAVINGS was chartered in July, 1 S3:'), and
organized August 13, 1833. The incor-
porators were Thomas Bellows, Samuel
Grant, John Wood, Salma Hale, Eliphalet
Briggs, Justus Perry, Aaron Hall, Levi Cham-
berlain, Azel Wilder, Abijah Wilder, >h\, John
Elliot, Oliver Holman, J. Colony, Amos
Twitchell, Charles G. Adams, Levi W.Leonard,
John H. Steele, James Walker, Azel Hatch,
Walter Tufts, Joseph Weeks, Larkin Baker,
Elijah Carpenter, Levi Blake, Abner Boyden,
William S. Brooks and George Tilden.

The first officers were Amos Twitchell, presi-
dent ; Justus Perry, first vice-president; Abijah
Wilder, Jr., second vice-president ; George Til-
den, secretary and treasurer.

First trustees: Salma Hale, John Wood,
Levi Chamberlain, Larkin Baker, John Elliot,
Phinehas Fisk, Azel Wilder, Walter Tufts,
Levi Blake, Levi W. Leonard, Timothy Hall,
Samuel Wood, Jr., Oliver Holman, Thomas M.
Edwards and Eliphalet Briggs.

Board of investment : Justus Perry, John
Elliot, Samuel Wood, Jr., Azel Wilder and
Levi Chamberlain.

The first deposit was made September 10,
L833, by Ashley Spaulding; amount, $100.

The following is a lisl of the presidents from
is:;:; to L885: Dr. Amos Twitchell, from 1833

KEENE.

to 1858, deceased; Hon. Salma Hale, from
1853 to 1856, resigned ; Hon. Levi Chamber-
lain, from 1856 to 1867, deceased; Hon. Sam-
uel Dinsmoor, from 1867 to 1870, deceased;
Hon. William P. Wheeler, from 1870 to 1877,
deceased ; Hon. Francis A. Faulkner, Esq., from
1877 to 1880, deceased ; George Tilden, from
1880 to 1883, resigned; Edward C. Thayer,
from 1883 to 1885, resigned ; George A.
Wheelock, from 1885 — present incumbent. The
secretary and treasurers : George Tilden, from
1833 to 1880; Oscar G. Nims, from 1880—
present incumbent.

The officers for 1885 are George A. Wheelock,
president ; A. T. Batchelder, William S. Briggs,
vice-presidents ; O. G. Nims, secretary and
treasurer ; Trustees, John Henry Elliot, Henry
C. Piper, R. H. Porter, Edward Farrar, F. C.
Faulkner, J. R. Beal, George W. Stearns, C. J.
Amidon, Barrett Ripley, J. G. Bellows, George
H. Tilden, Silas Hardy, Reuben Stewart, F. H.
Kingsbury and Frederick A. Faulkner ; Board
of Investment, A. T. Batchelder, Barrett Rip-
ley, R. H. Porter, J. R. Beal, Reuben Stewart ;
Auditors, J. R. Beal, William S. Briggs, George
H. Tilden, F. C. Faulkner and Silas Hardy.

The Keenb Five-Cents Savings-Bank
was incorporated in 1868. The incorporators
were as follows : John H. Fuller, Allen Giffin,
Edward Joslin, John Grimes, Caleb T. Buffum,
George Holmes, Dauphlin W. Buckminster,
Samuel O. Gates, George W. Ball and Samuel
Woodward.

The first board of trustees were Edward Jos-
lin, John Bowker, George W. Ball,Xaleb T.
Buffum, D. W. Buckminster, Clark F. Rowell,
John Humphrey, George Holmes, Wm. Haile,
O. Sprague, Elijah Boyden, Henry Colony, F.
Vose, H. O. Coolidge and P. Batcheller.

The first officers were John H. Fuller, presi-
dent ; Samuel Woodward and Farnum F. Lane,
vice-presidents ; O. G. Dort, treasurer.

The presidents have been John H. Fuller, Far-
num F. Lane, Samuel Woodward, Henry
Colony and C. T. Buffum ; Treasurers, O. G.
Dort and G. A. Litchfield.

First deposit made by Nellie I. Rowell, Jan-
uary 1, 1869 ; amount $10. The present deposits
amount to 81,800,000.

The officers for 1885 are C. T. Buffum,
president ; Edward Joslin, Elijah Boyden, vice-
presidents ; G. A. Litchfield, secretary and
treasurer ; Trustees, F. A. Perry, George AW
Ball, H. O. Coolidge, Clark R Rowell, John
Humphrey, Don H. Woodward, N. O. Way-
ward, John O. Jones, John B. Fisk, Obadiah
Sprague, Elbridge Clarke, F. E. Keyes, Hiram
Blake, Joseph B. Abbott and George C.
Hubbard ; Board of Investment, C. T. Buffum,
Edward Joslin, F. A. Perry, J. O. Coolidge
and Hiram Blake.

Keexe Guaranty Savixgs-Baxk -was
incorporated in 1883, with a guaranty fund of
$50,000. Farnum F. Lane, James Burnap,
Henry Colony, John Symonds, Obed G. Dort,
John E. Colony, John S. Collins, Charles L.
Russell and Asa C. Dort, incorporators.

The first board of trustees was composed of
Henry Colony, Obed G. Dort, Horatio Colony,
Samuel W. Haile, Farnum F. Lane, George E.
Colbrook, Clark X. Chandler, James Burnap,
John S. Collins and George G. Davis.

The first president was J. Burnap ; treasurer,
O. G. Dort.

The officers for 1885 are : President, J. Bur-
nap ; Treasurer, O. G. Dort ; Trustees, James
Burnap, John S. Collins, Horatio Colony,
(lark X. Chandler, William P. Chamberlain,
Charles H. Hersey, Obed G. Dort, George G.
Davis, George E. Holbrook and Silas M. Dins-
moor ; Board of Investment, J. Burnap, O. G.
Dort, William P. Chamberlain, C. X. Chan-
dler and S. M. Dinsmoor.

The first deposit was made October 1, 1883,
amount, 825. Present amount of deposits,
^225,000. Xumber of open accounts, six hun-
dred. Deposits average $375 each.

This bank was incorporated and organized
on the new guaranty plan, the fourth of its
kind in the States. A capital of 850,000
was subscribed and paid in, to be held as a
special guaranty, that depositors should
receive the principal which they deposited
and the interest wluch the bank agrees to pay,
the losses being chargeable to the guaranty fund.

And as the deposits increase, the guaranty fund
must be increased, and never fall below ten" per
cent, of the general deposits.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

The management of the bank is wholly in the

hands of the owners of the guaranty fund (sub-
ject to the banking laws of the State), and every
officer must be a contributor to the said fund.

CHAPTER VII.

KEENE — (Continued).

EDUCATIONAL.

First Vote Concerning Schools — Judge Daniel Newcomb's
Private School— The High School of 1828— Teachers'
Institute — Catharine Fiske's Female Seminary — The
Eeene Academy — The Academy and District Troubles —
The High School.

The first reference to educational matters
found on the old town records is under date of
1764, when the town voted six pounds sterling
to defray the charges of a school, and in 1766
it is " Voted that the security for the money
given to the town by Captain Nathaniel Fair-
banks, deceased, the interest of which was for
the use of a school in this town, be delivered to
the care of the town treasurer and his successors
in office for the time being."

Judge Daniel Newcomb is credited by Josiah
J*. Cooke, Esq., in Hale's " Annals," with having
founded a private school about 1793, mainly at
his own expense, and as the best friend of
" good learning " that the town had.

"In 1821 the town records state that it is
voted that the town will, at their annual meet-
ing, in each year, choose five or more suitable
persons to constitute a committee of examina-
tion, whose duty it shall be to examine those
persons who shall oner themselves as instructors
of the public schools within the town; and in
1823 it is voted that Zedekiah S. Barstow,
Aaron Appleton, .John Elliot, John Prentiss
and Thomas M. Edwards be a committee to
examine teachers, agreeably to the vote of the
town."

In 1828 we find, from the town records, that
there was an endeavor to establish a High
School, Rev. Z. S. Barstow, Rev. Thomas Rus-
sell Sullivan, pastor of the Keene Congrega-
tional (Unitarian) Society, General Justus
Perry, Aaron Hall (son of the deceased minister

of that name) and Azel Wilder being a com-
mittee on that subject. It was also " Voted
that the instructor of this school shall not en-
deavor to inculcate, in school, doctrines peculiar
to any one religious sect, nor distribute to his
scholars any religious publication." It was
agreed that " the school might be kept during
the first year, seven, and during the second
year, eight months, which," it was urged, " is
at least three and four months longer than a
school has usually been kept by a master." It
appears from minutes kept by the late Dr. Bar-
stow, secretary, that after two or three months
spent in writing to the presidents of Dartmouth,
Amherst, Middlebury and Yale Colleges, Mr.
Edward E. Eels, a graduate of Middlebury
College, was engaged as High School teacher
for two months, at twenty-five dollars a month,
independent of board. His term expired
January 29, 1829. Subsequently, Mr. A. II.
Bennett was the instructor for three months,
"at forty dollars a month, including board."

In 1845, and for a short time previous, a
Teachers' Institute was established in the
county by private subscription.

On March 12, 1850, Keene voted seventy-
five dollars for a Teachers' Institute, on condi-
tion of the co-operation of other towns in the
county.

Reference to educational matters in Keene
would be incomplete which did not chronicle
the "School for Young Ladies and Misses," in
which, under date of 1817, Miss Fiske and
Miss Sprague advertise that they shall "pay all
possible attention to the improvement of the
manners, morals and minds of their pupils."

April 11, 1811, Miss Catharine Fiske began
her school in Keene, known as ''The Female
Seminary," conducting it for twenty-three years,
with signal success, until her death, 1837. Miss
Fiske had been engaged in teaching for fifteen
years before coming to Keene. Rev. Dr.Barstow,
in an obituary sketch, published in the Boston
Recorder for September 1, 1837, estimates that
during the thirty-eight years of her service,
more than two thousand five hundred pupils
came under her care. He commends especially
" her tact in eliciting the dormant energies of
some minds, and the stimulus afforded to those

KEENE.

that were apt to learn." Afterwards the late
Mrs. Stewart Hastings and Miss Barnes, later
Mrs. T. H. Leverett, were among the teachers
associated with Miss Fiske in her school. Miss
Withington conducted it for a while after Miss
Fiske's decease.

Keene Academy. — In the year 1835 a
movement was started for the founding of an
academy in the town, and a committee, consisting
of Eliphalet Briggs, William Lamson and
Samuel A. Gerould were chosen to select a site
and draft a plan for building. A subscription
paper was circulated and one hundred and one
subscribers were obtained. The site, corner
Winter and Middle Streets, was selected, and in
the fall of 1836 the building was completed.
The academy was dedicated on Christmas eve,
1836, and opened early in 1837.

The first board of trustees were Joel Parker,
Amos Mitchell, Zedekiah S. Barstow, Abial A.
Livermore, James Wilson, Aaron Hall, Azal
Wilder, William Lamson, Elijah Parker and
Eliphalet Briggs, of Keene ; John Sabin, of
Fitzwilliam ; Elisha Rockwood, of Swanzey ;
Alanson Rawson, of Roxbury; Larkin Baker,
of Westmoreland ; and Pliny Jewell, of Win-
chester.

The lot was deeded to the trustees by Abijah
Wilder, May 24, 1839, and the papers were
drawn under the direction of Joel Parker.

The academy was understood to be an ortho-
dox institution. Article 5th of the trust deed
says, " The Trustees shall neither elect nor
employ any person as Principal of said Acad-
emy who is not a professor of religion in an
Orthodox Congregational or Presbyterian
Church, and who does not hold in substance
the faith now held and maintained by the
church of the First Congregational Society of
Keene." It was also further stated that " The
basement be used for a chapel by the First
Congregational Church in Keene, and for no
other purpose, they keeping it in repair. Also,
the attic story for a singing hall for the church
of said society, they keeping it in repair." J

The first principal of the academy was Mr.

i It may be well enough to state, however, that a large
proportion of the subscriptions to build the academy came
from the members of the Congregational Church.

Breed Batchelder, assisted by Miss Mary E.
Parker and Miss Leverett.

Mr. Batchelder remained until the spring of
1839.

Mr. Batchelder's successors were as follows :
Noah Bishop, from the spring of 1839 till the
close of 1840 ; Abraham Jenkins, till the spring
of 1841 ; Mrs. A. E. P. Perkins, till the autumn
of 1844 ; Seneca Cummings, from the fall of

1844 to the spring of 1845 ; Miss L. H. Kim-
ball, from the spring of 1845 to the fall of

1845 ; K G. Clark, from the fall of 1845 to
the spring of 1847 ; Wm. W. Blodgett, from
1847 till the spring of 1848; Mr. Woodworth,
from 1848 to 1850 ; Wm. Torrance, from 1850
to 1853, being the last principal of the Keene
Academy. Mr. Torrance was highly respected.
He died here February 3, 1855, aged thirty-
nine years.

The erection of the academy buildings en-
tailed a larger expense than was originally an-
ticipated (three thousand five hundred dollars),
and the amount required (one thousand dol-
lars) was borrowed on the notes of Elijah
Parker, Aaron Hall and Eliphalet Briggs, and
the amount, with interest, was paid from the
estates of these gentlemen by their administra-
tors. Mr. Timothy Hall presented the academy
a bell, and also the blinds of the building, and
Mr. Eliphalet Briggs presented a set of globes,
valued at one hundred dollars.

In the spring of 1853 a committee of the
associated school districts proposed to purchase
the property for a High School. The first meet-
ing of the trustees, to consider the proposition,
was held at the academy April 28, 1853. Pres-
ent— S. Hastings, William Lamson, Charles
Lamson, Eliphalet Briggs, Daniel Aikens and
Levi Chamberlain. At a subsequent meeting,
held June 13, 1853, it was voted to lease the
property to the districts for ten years, at an
annual rent of two hundred and fifty dollars, the
first three years' rent to be expended in repairs
on the buildings. At the expiration of the
lease it was renewed for three years, at three
hundred and fifty dollars for the first two, and
four hundred and fifty dollars for the third year.

December 19, 1866, a committee, appointed
by the districts, was chosen to select a lot for a

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

High School building, and the academy lot was
decided upon; and eight days later, December
27th, they made application to buyj the trustees,
however, refused to sell, claiming they had no
authority. January 10, 1867, a petition Mas
presented to the selectmen to lay out the lot,
with the buildings, for the use of the High School.
The trustees protested against the districts'' tak-
ing the property, hut on the 30th of January,
same year, the selectmen laid out the lot, for
the use of the High School, and awarded six
thousand one hundred dollars damages. The
sum was not accepted, and the trustees applied to
the Legislature, at the June session, for the incor-
poration of the academy, and a charter was

given.

September 22, 1868, the subject came up for
hearing before .Fudge J. E. Sargent, referee, witli
Hon. T. M. Edwards for plaintiffs and Hon.
able W. V. Wheeler for defendants and the
decision was in favor of the High School.

The present officers and trustees of Keene
Academy arc as follows : W. S. Briggs, pres-
ident ; S. S. Wilkinson, vice-president; E,.
H. Porter, secretary and treasurer ; W. S.
Briggs, R. H. Porter, Solon S. Wilkinson, Bar-
rett Ripley, George E. Holbrook, Isaac Rand,
John Humphrey, Chas.Bridgman, S. G. Griffin,
S. D. Osborn, Allan Gerould, Jr., Elisha F.
Lane, S. Hale, A/.ro B. Skinner and I. N.
Spencer, trustees.

Amount of the fund April 1, 1885, was,
$22,731.36.

The High School opened with Mr. Tor-
rance a- principal, and the principals from that
time to the present have been as follows : ( 'has.
E. Bruce, L. W. Buckingham, A. J. Bur-
bank, S. II. Brackett, Hooper, and M.. A.

Bailey the present incumbent.

CHAPTER. VIII.

KEENE— (Continued)-

MISCKLLANEOUS.

Masonic — Odd-Fellows — ( )t her Societies — Public Library —
The Press — The Sentinel — The Cheshire Republican — Tin-
New Falkland Observer— Keene in 1 S : ; 1 — Post-Office —
Court-House — The King's Cannon — Manufacturing In-
terests— Members of Congress — Governors — War of the
Rebellion— Soldiers' Monument — Physicians — City of
Keene — First Charter Election — Officers Elected —
Mayors, Aldermen, Councilmen and Clerks to Present
Time — Present ( tfficers.

Social Friends Lodge, F. and A. M.

was chartered June 8th, 1825; but in 1827
the Morgan troubles begun in Western New
York, resulting in a strong Anti-Masonic party,
which spread over the whole northern part of
the country, continuing for ten years, when it
ceased to exist. During this time Socia] Friends
Lodge, with most of the other lodges in this
part of the country, wound up its affairs and
ceased to exist.

In 1855 a few brethren having the interest of
the craft at heart, began to talk up the matter
of reviving Freemasonry in this town ; so they
met for rehearsals in Deluge Engine-House,
oidy one of them being able to answer a word
of the lectures. They soon applied to the Grand
Master for a charter; he told them he could not
give them a charter, because there was one
already in existence. In the course of* time
John Prentiss succeeded in finding the old
charter of 1825, when they were allowed by the
( Irand Lodge to go to work. Accordingly, the
first stated communication was held April !>,
1856, in Odd-Fellows' Hall, where the meetings
continued to be held until 1860, when the lodge
leased and occupied the apartments in the east
end of St. John's building.

In 1868 the rooms were found to be too
small for the growing order of Freemasonry,
when the building was enlarged, and the lodge
moved into a larger hall in the west end of the
buildine, using the old hall lor an armory and
banquel hall.

In 1869, owing to the rapid growth of the
order, several of the older members, thinking it
would be for the good of the craft to start an-

KEENE.

other lodge, applied to the Grand Lodge, and a
charter was granted for the Lodge of the Temple.

In 1874 the Masonic apartments in St. John's
building were again enlarged, by increasing the
size of the lodge-room and adding a large ban-
quet hall in the third story of the building.

The following is a list of Past Masters :

A. S. Carpenter was elected W. Master June 11,
1856.

Barrett Ripley was elected W. Master April 26,
1858.

A. S. Carpenter was elected W. Master again April
11, 1859.

E. H. Porter was elected W. Master April 2, 1860.
T. J. French was elected W. Master April 22, 1861.
Don H. Woodward was elected W. Master April

14, 1862.

Edward Gustine was elected W. Master April 18,
1864.

S. S. Wilkinson was elected W. Master April 10,
1865.

S. A. Carter was elected W. Master April 23, 1866.

Horatio Colony was elected W. Master April 15,
1867.

C. S. Coburn was elected W. Master April 6, 1868.

L. J. Tuttle was elected W. Master April 11, 1870.

0. M. Holton was elected W. Master March 18,
1872.

F. L. Howe was elected W. Master March 30, 1874.
F. K. Burn ham was elected W. Master March 29,

1875.

H. W. Hubbard was elected W. Master March 20,
1876.

Elisha Ayer was elected W. Master March 26, 1877.

O. M. Holton was elected W. Master again March
4, 1878.

George A. Gordon was elected W. Master March
3,1879.

S. M. Ray was elected W. Master March 7, 1881.

George H. Eames was elected W. Master March 6,
1882.

George G. Dort was elected W. Master March 2,
1885.

Lodge of the Temple received a dispen-
sation April I!, 1869, from the Most Worship-
ful Grand Master Alexander M. Winn, who
appointed Brother A. S. Carpenter the first
Master, Brother D. W. Buckminster as the first
Senior Warden, and Brother Edward Farrar as
the first Junior Warden. This new lodge was
an oflshoot of Social Friends Lodge. But little
work was done by the lodge while under dis-
pensation. At the annual meeting of the M.
W . Grand Lodge, the Juno following, a petition

was presented asking the Grand Lodge to grant
a charter to this new lodge.

There was opposition from some members of
Social Friends Lodge to granting this charter,
not in a factious spirit, but doubting the expe-
diency or necessity of another lodge at Keene ;
and it was argued with considerable force, by
some Masons, that two lodges would be an in-
jury instead of a benefit to Masonry.

The weight of the evidence presented to the
Grand Lodge convinced them that the good of
Masonry would be promoted by granting a
charter. Therefore a charter was granted to
the new lodge, to be called The Lodge of the
Temple, to be numbered 88 and assigned to
District No. 3. Soon after the formation of
Lodge of the Temple business throughout the
country became prostrated, and the effect was
such that very few petitions were presented to
the lodge ; under the circumstances, the lodge
became financially embarrassed, so much so that
its future life, prosperity and usefulness were
anything but encouraging ; but by strict econ-
omy during the prosperous times that followed,
the lodge is now placed upon a solid foundation
financially, having a membership of over
ninety and every indication of a long and useful
career. The relations that exist between Social
Friends Lodge and Lodge of the Temple are
of the most fraternal and pleasant character,
and the idea that two lodges are not needed at
Keene has, it is hoped, long since passed away.

The following is a list of the Past Masters :

A. S. Carpenter was appointed W. Master April 6,
1869.

Thomas E. Hatch was elected W. Master Decem-
ber 25, 1869.

Edward Gustine was elected W. Master April 5,
1870.

E. E. Lyman was elected W. Master April 4, 1871.
Francis Brick was elected W. Master April 1, 1878.
Daniel McGregor was elected W. Master June 5,

1875.

John G. Stone was elected W. Master April 4,
1876.

George J. Appleton was elected W. Master April 3,
1878.

F. H. Whitcomb was elected W. Master April 6,
1880.

George W. Flagg was elected W. Master April 4,
1882.

O. G. Nims was elected W. Master March 28, 1884.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Cheshire Royal Arch Chapter. — This
chapter was reorganized Oct. 1 2, 1859. The High
Priests have been : H. M. Streeter, 1859 ; Bar-
rett Ripley, 1861 ; T. E. Hatch, 1863; J. H.
Elliot, 1865; E. Gustine, 1867; S. A. Car-
ter, 1869; E. Ayer, 1872; L. J. Tattle, 1875;
O. M. Holton, 1879; Geo. W. Flagg, 1881;
J. B. Fisher, 188:}; M. V. B. Clark, 1885.

The chapter is in a flourishing condition ; its
financial standing is sound, and its membership
is about one hundred and fifty. More than five
hundred members have been enrolled upon the
books of this association of Masons since Mav 4,
1816, at which time it commenced to work in
Keene under dispensation. The charter was
granted to the Hon. John Prentiss, founder of
the New Hampshire Sentinel, and Rev. Brough-
ton White, of Westmoreland, the latter becom-
ing its first High Priest. The meetings were
then held in Prentiss' (now Whitcomb's) block,
in the attic of which may be found, to-day, a
part of the old chapter furniture. The par-
aphernalia, however, was taken to Iowa, and
used in a chapter there by the late General
-lames Wilson, who was High Priest of Cheshire
Chapter for a number of years previous to its
dormancy, which was brought about prior to
1835, by the Morgan excitement. The charter
of Cheshire Chapter bears date of May 1,1819,
and was signed by Thomas Smith Webb, Dep-
uty-General Grand High Priest, whose name is
familiar to Free-Masons throughout the country
and whose " Masonic Monitor" has found a
place in every Masonic library. One hundred
years ago Thomas Smith Webb was a book-
binder on Main Street, Keene. He was ini-
tiated as an Entered Apprentice December 24,
1790, passed to the degree of Fellow Craft
December 27, 1790, and raised to the sublime
degree of Master-Mason December 27, 17!mi,
in Rising Sim Lodge, No. 1, Keene. Subse-
quently he became very prominent as a Masonic
author and ritualist, lie elaborated the ritual
of the < >rder of the lied Cross, and, by borrow-
ing from the esoteric rituals of both the lodge
and chapter, connected it with Masonry, and
thus the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross
became a pari of the so-called American York
Kite of Free-Masonry. The charter of Che-

shire Chapter was declared forfeited and ordered
to be stricken from the Grand Chapter books,
June 14, 1843, the chapter having failed to
make return since 1835. It was restored Octo-
ber 12, 1859. The early records are not extant,
but are complete since the revival of the chap-
ter, October 12, 1859, since which time the
meetings have been continuous.

There is also a council located here called St.
John's Council, No. 7, with Josiah L. Seward,
T. I. M.

Hugh de Payens Commandery.1 — In
1863 the matter of having a comniandery of
Knights Templar at Keene was agitated by the
Masons of Keene and vicinity. At that time
there were but a very few Knights Templar in
New Hampshire. The Grand Commandery of
the State had been formed. The Masons of
this section were informed that it would be nec-
essary that a certain number of Chapter Masons
should take the Templar degree, then apply to
the Grand Commandery for a dispensation or
charter. It was found necessary to have the
recommendation of some Sir Knight, who be-
longed to some commandery and resided in this
vicinity. Only one could be found. That was
Sir Knight Oliver G. Woodbury, of Westmore-
land. He was a member of Vermont Com-
mandery, Xo. 4, Windsor, Vt. By the request
of some Chapter Masons of Keene, Sir Knight
Woodbury made arrangements witli this com-
mandery to confer the Templar degrees on the
following Masons (as the records show) : Hon
II. Woodward, II. M. Streeter, Barrett Ripley,
Elisha F. Lane, Edward Gustine, William S.
Briggs, John II. Elliott, Edward Farrar, John
A. Chamberlain.

November 30, 1X63, they started for Ver-
mont to receive the degrees. On arriving at
Windsor they were informed that the Grand
Commandery of Vermont considered it essential
that the council degrees should be taken before
receiving the Templar degrees. By a dispen-
sation tiny received the council degrees in As-
cutney Council, at Windsor, Vt.,November 30,
L863. After receiving the council degrees they
continued their journey to Hartford, Vt., where

1 By Bon. E. Gustine.

KEENE.

the meeting of the commandery was held at
that time. At that early day of Templar Ma-
sonry they had no particular place in the dis-
trict for holding meetings. The officers desig-
nated where and when the meetings should be
held. Under such circumstances they did not
always find suitable accommodations. On this
occasion the meeting was held in the attic of
the hotel. One window in the gable end, the
rough boards and bare rafters were calculated
to impress on the minds of the candidates the
rough habit and course fare of our ancient Sir
Knights. The kind and cordial greeting that
was extended to them by the Sir Knights made
the surroundings appear very pleasant. After
two days of pilgrimage they returned to their
homes, well pleased with the Sir Knights whom
they had met and the Templar degrees.

In 1866 the Sir Knights applied for a dis-
pensation, which was granted by Eminent Grand
Commander Charles A. Tufts, August 20, 1866,
to Thomas E. Hatch, Edward Gustine and
their associates. Sir Knight Hatch was ap-
pointed by Grand Commander Tufts as his
proxy to organize this new commandery, which
was done September 7, 1866. It received its
charter at the annual conclave of the Grand
Commandery, September 2o, 1866.

Thomas E. Hatch was appointed its first
Commander, and held the office one year. After
procuring suitable jewels and regalia, on De-
eember 4, 1866, the officers of Hugh de Payens
Commandery, of Melrose, Mass., under the
command of Eminent Sir Knight L. L. Fuller,
visited this new commandery (of the same
name) and assisted in conferring the degrees.

At the annual assembly in 1867, Simon G.
Griffin was elected Eminent Commander. In
1876, Solon A. Carter was elected Eminent
Commander. In 1878, Solon S. Wilkinson was
elected Eminent Commander. In 1880, Don
II. Woodward was elected Eminent Com-
mander. In 1883, Frank L. Howe was elected
Eminent Commander, and is its present Com-
mander. The several Commanders have been
very efficient and satisfactory officers. The
commandery was chartered in 1866 with nine
charter members ; in 1884 it had a membership
of one hundred and fifty.

Accepted Scottish Rite was organized
August 7, 1884, under the authority of "The
Supreme Grand Council, Sovereign Grand In-
spector-General, 33d and last degree, for the
United States of America."

Bodies meet jointly, in St. John's Hall, third
Thursday of each month. New Hampshire
Consistory : Frank H. Whitcomb, 111. Com.-
in-Chief. Cheshire Chapter Rose Croix :
Frank L. Howe, M. W. P. M. Monadnock
Council, Princes of Jerusalem : Brainard T.
Olcott, M. E. S. G. M. Ashuelot Lodge of
Perfection : Frank H. Whitcomb, T. P. G. M. ;
George W. Flagg, Deputy for New Hampshire.

Active members of the Supreme Council for
New Hampshire,— George W. Flagg, 33°
Deputy ; Frank H. Whitcomb, 33°; Brainard
T. Olcott, 33°.

The membership of these bodies is large, and
the funds rate second in amount among the
Masonic organizations in this city.

Keene Natural History Society was
organized October 23, 1871, and incorporated
May 31, 1880. George A. Wheelock, presi-
dent; Samuel Wadsworth, vice-president; D.
W. Gilbert, secretary and treasurer ; C. F.
Rowell, I. J. Prouty, W. R. Dunham, E. J. C.
Gilbert and H. Blake, executive committee;
Ira D. Gates, custodian.

Keene Humane Society was organized
December 18, 1875, and incorporated June 3,
1879. President, Charles H. Hersey; Vice-
Presidents, C. T. Buffuni, E. A. Webb, A. B.
Hay ward, E. A. Renouf, S. G. Griffin, Hora-
tio Colony, Mrs. C. S. Falkner ; Directors,
Horatio Kimball, A. B. Skinner, Mrs.
C. T. Buffum, Mrs. S. D. Osborne, Mrs.
C. Bridgman, Mrs. A. S. Carpenter,
James Marsh, Mrs. O. G. Dort, Dr. G. B.
Twitchell, Mrs. W. P. Wheeler ; Secretary,
Miss. E. Henderson ; Treasurer, Clark F.
Rowell ; Prosecuting Attorney, John T. Abbott.

Invalids' Home was incorporated Novem-
ber, 1874. President, Mrs. A. S. Carpenter;
Directors, Mrs. G. D. Harris, Mrs. E. C.
Thayer, Mrs. R. H. Porter, Miss E. J. Faulk-
ner, Mrs. K. C. Scott, F. F. Lane ; Secretary,
Miss B. M. Dinsmoor; Treasurer, I. N. Spencer.

Public Schools. — The following gentlemen

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

compose the board of officers for Union School
District : Rev. Edward A. Renouf, chairman of
the Board of Education ; Wilton H. Spalter, sec-
retary of the board ; Henry S. Martin, treasurer
of the district; "Wilton H. Spalter, agent
of the district; Ira D. Gates, janitor of High
School building.

The Board of Education is composed of the
following: George Tilden, term expires March
1885; George A. Wheelock, term expires
March, 1885 ; Henry S. Martin, term expires
March, 1885: Wilton H. Spalter, term expires
March, 1886 ; Joseph B. Abbott, term expires
March, 1886 ; Ira J. Prouty, term expires
March, 1886; Rev. Edward A. Renouf, term
expires March, 1887; diaries H. Hersey, term
expires March, 1887; John AY. Sturtevant,
fcerm expires March, 1 887.

High School, Winter Street. — The High School
building, completed in 187(!, at a cost of fifty
thousand dollars, is a model in architectural
design, and wrill accommodate over three hun-
dred pupils. In addition to the High School
proper, there are four grammar schools, of the
first, second and third grades, kept in the build-

ing.

Tli.' instructors are Middlesex A. Bailey,
A.M., principal ; William F. Gibson, sub-
master ; Miss E. M. Taft, assistant; Miss Alice
M. AYhitcomb, assistant.

Grammar Schools. — First Grade : High
School building, Miss M. A. Wheeler, S. Liz-
zie Green (assistant).

Second Grade : Room 1, High School build-
ing, Miss Julia D. Hatch ; Room 2, High School
building, Miss Helen M. Howard.

Third Grade: Room 1, High School building,
Miss Lizzie M. Nims; Room 2, School Street,
Mi— ( larrie R. Hutchins.

Fourth Grade : Room 1, Centre Street, Miss
Carrie E. Whitcomb; Room 2, School Street,
Miss Fannie M. Rhan ; Room 3, Church
Street, Mi>- Sarah L. Bixby.

Secondary Sehools. — Lincoln Street, Flora E.
Sargeant ; Main Street, Harriet A. Hemenway;
Pearl Street, Annie M. O'Connor; School
Street, Gertrude E. Stone; Washington Street,
S. Annie Strong; Fuller School, Anna F.
Downer.

Primary School*. — Lincoln Street, Jennie A.
Tuttle; Main Street, Anna 10. Bates ; Pearl
Street, Nan L. Hart; School Street, Nellie M.
Towne ; Washington Street, ffattie M. Met calf ;
( entre Street, Jennie S. Abbott ; Fuller School,
Mary A. Conroy.

Suburban Districts. — The schools not belong-
ing to the Union District are ten in number, and
are placed under charge of a superintendent.
The superintendent of suburban schools is
Gardner C. Hill.

Independent Ordeb of Odd Fellows —
Beaver Brook Lodge, No. .*'>(>. — Eugene M.
Keyes, N. G. ; D. H. Dickerson, V. G. ; Frank
M. Davis, Rec. Sec; A. W. Dickinson, Treas. ;
Frank E. Joy, Per. Sec.

Friendship Rebekah Degree Lodge, Xo. (j. —
Elsie M. Fay, N. G. ; Ella M. Griffith, V. G. ;
Kate C. Ward, Rec. Sec. ; Abby J. Roby,
Treas. ; Carrie L. (jeer, F. Sec.

Monadnock Encamjunent, No. 10. — Clinton
( ollins, C. P. ; R. W. Ward, S. W. ; C. Pressler,
H. P.; Walter W. Glazier, Scribe ; Sylvester
Spaulding, Treasurer.

United Order of the Golden Cross.
— Keene Commandery, No. 90, and Ashuelot
Council, No. 833, Royal Arcanum, are situated
here.

Independent Order of Good Temrears.
— Refuge Lodge, No. 5!>, was organized Janu-
ary 20, 1882. '

Keene Light Guard. — Company G.: Cap-
tain, Francis O. Nims ; First Lieutenant, Edward
P. Kimball; Second Lieutenant, Charles W.
Starkey ; Sergeants, Charles E. Joslin, D. H.
Dickinson, William H. Reyoum, E. O. Upham,
C. H. ('lark.

Company H. — Captain, George W '. Fisher;
First Lieutenant, Jerry P. Wellman ; Second
Lieutenant, Frank Chapman ; Sergeants, E. A.
Shaw, F. E. Barrett, O. G. Nims, Sumner
Nims.

Battalion. — This organization was organized
October 17, L 877, and comprises Companies G
and H of the Second Regiment. The follow-
ing are the officers of the Battalion: Com-
mander, Lieutenant-Colonel Fred. A. Faulkner;
Major, AIL. it W. Metcalf; Clerk, J. C. Reed ;
Treasurer, Oscar G. Nims ; Executive Commit-

KEENE.

tee, Frank Chapman, Jerry P. Wellman, E. M.
I\<ycs; Committee on Anns, Equipments and
and Uniforms, Captain G. W. Fisher, Cap-
tain F. O. jVims, Lieutenant C. W. Starkey;
Armorer, W. W. Ross.

A Post of the Grand Army of the Re-
public was organized herein 1868 ; reorganized
January, 1880. L. W. Foskett, ( lommander: L.
H. Starkey, Senior Vice-Commander ; Ambrose
A. Stiles, Junior Vice-Commander; William
W. Ross, Adjutant; L. D. Darling, Quarter-
master ; H. W. Eastman, Officer of the Day ;
J. S. Warner, Officer of the Guard ; Dr. G. B.
Twitchell, Surgeon ; E. E. Bissell, Chaplain.

Ancient Order of Hibernians was or-
ganized April 5, 1874.

Fire Department, 1885. — The officers are :
Chief Engineer, George D. Wheelock ; Assist-
ants, J. A. Batchelder, H. H. Barker, William
H. Reyouni, C. L. Kingsbury, H. W. Harvey ;
Clerk, C. L. Kingsbury.

Keene Steamer and Hose Company, No. 1 . — E.
S. Foster, captain ; H. H. Haynes, lieutenant ;
J. P. Wellwan, foreman of hose ; G. H. Piper,
engineer ; D. E. Ladd, assistant engineer ; H.
W. Keyes, clerk ; M. V. B. Clark, treasurer.

Deluge Hose Company, No. 1. — O. P. Applin,
foreman ; Charles Balch, first assistant ; George
F. Howe, second assistant ; Edward Stone, clerk;
Charles G. Gilmore, secretary and treasurer;
Fred. H. Towne, steward.

Phcenix Hose Company, No. 4. — M. L. Lan-
ders, foreman ; Wm. R. Wiggett, first assistant ;
( 'harles S. Carkin, second assistant ; F. F.
Stearns, clerk ; Frank P. Gaynor, secretary and
treasurer ; F. N. Woods, steward.

Washington Hook-and- Ladder Company, No.
1. — Joseph E. Griffith, foreman ; George Blais-
d< 11, first assistant ; E. A. Seaver, second assistant ;
A. E. Fish, secretary and treasurer; Fred R.
Smith, steward.

Public Library.1 — In the old " Annals of
Keene," under date of 1815, we find this para-
graph—

" We do not now stand apart from the rest of the
world ; neither our position, nor the circumstances
that surround us, present any features, grand,
remarkable or romantic. . . . The deeds of our an-

1 By Mrs. M. R. Osborne.

cestors are interesting to us, not merely because they
were the deeds of our ancestors, nor because they are
viewed through the long vista of past time, but prin-
cipally because they were performed by a few men of
stout hearts and strong wills, amid perilous and re-
markable circumstances ; and are appreciated by the
vast importance of their consequences. Individuals
are lost in the multitude, and a multitude excites no
interest."

And what is true of individuals is also true
of institutions, — they have a history interesting
to none, perhaps, outside of their own immediate
vicinity, and yet the annals of a town or county
would be incomplete without this record.
Hence, this sketch of the Keene Public Library.

The Keene Public Library had its beginning
in 1859 in a joint stock-company, represented
and sustained by an association of stockholders,
each holding one or more shares at five dollars
per share, subject to assessment annually. An-
nual subscribers, by the payment of two dollars,
were entitled to all the privileges of the library.

In 1859 bv-laws and a constitution were
drawn up and subscribed to, as follows :

" We, the undersigned, hereby associate ourselves
together for the establishment of a library in Keene,
under the corporate name of the ' Keene Public Li-
brary,' agreeably to the preceding Constitution and
By-Laws, for the objects and upon the conditions there-
in expressed ; and we hereby adopt said Constitution
and By-Laws as a part of our articles of agreement.
And we further agree that our first meeting be held
on the 3d day of May, 1859, at the Town Hall in
Keene, at 7? o'clock P.M., and be organized as the
majority shall decide.

" Wm. P. Wheeler. Geo. Cook.

Farnum F. Lane. D. H. Sawyer.

Leonard Bisco. Edward A. Webb.

Geo. B. Twitchell. Gilman Joslin.

John Henry Elliot. Wm. Henry Thayer."
William S. Briggs.

At the first annual meeting of the stockhold-
ers a board of twelve trustees was elected, c< in-
sisting of the same persons, with the addition
of John Bowker. George B. Twitchell was
chosen chairman, and William H. Thayer sec-
retary (whose duty it should be to prepare a
catalogue), and Leonard Bisco librarian, "the
Trustees agreeing to pay him the sum of fifty
dollars for the use of the room and the care
and delivery of books, including all the duties
of Librarian for one year."

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

"On the opening of the Library, Sept. 3d,
the Secretary read a brief address, which the
Board agreed to publish in the Newspapers,
with some alterations." The first sum voted
for books was one hundred dollars. At the
first annual meeting, in May, the treasurer's re-
port represented the sum of two hundred dol-
lars. Of the twelve gentlemen elected trustees,
only four have departed this life. Those who
remain hale and hearty to-day are F. F. Lane,
Rev. William (). White, William H.Thayer,
M.D., John Henry Elliot, George Cook, John
Bowker, William S. Briggs and George A.
Wheelock.

In 1.SG2 the following vote appears on the
records : " Voted to appropriate two hundred
and five dollars for the expenses of the ensuing
year, — Ninety dollars for the purchase of
hooks, Ninety dollars for the salary of Libra-
rian and Twenty-five for rent, gas and inciden-
tal expenses."

Valuable gifts of books and public docu-
ments were received from time to time. One
hundred and fifteen dollars was the largest sum
expended in any one year before the vote to
transfer the library to the city, in 1875. A
meeting was called September 19, 1S74, to hear
the report of the committee previously chosen
by the stockholders (consisting of William P.
Wheeler, George A. Wheelock and F. S. Strat-
ton) to confer with a committee chosen by the
city, in relation to surrendering the shares of
the stockholders to the city, and take any action
deemed necessary to transfer the library and
any other property of the association to the city.
The committee chosen by the city were William
Dinsinoor, Asa Smith (couneilmen), S. S. "Wil-
kinson (alderman), with full authority to con-
summate the transactions ; and on February
1, 1874, F. S. Stratton and George A. Whee-
lock, on the part of the association, and William
Dinsmoor, on the part of the city, met and for-
mally transferred the library to the city, under
the following conditions and regulations, viz.:
" The city shall furnish suitable apartments, and
for five years shall expend the sum of not less
than three hundred dollars, and after that a
Mini of not lc>- than five hundred dollars, for
the purchase and repair of books, until such

time as the Library shall receive an income of
not less than one thousand dollars per annum."
flic city also voted to maintain " a free public
library, which should be well equipped with
standard, historical and general works, constitu-
ting an armory in which our young men might
furnish themselves weapons for the intellectual
contests of the day, and every care should be
exercised in its formation to guard its shelves
strictly from worthless books." They also
decreed that the joint standing committee should
have charge and management of said Library,
appoint a librarian and define his duties and
make all such rules and regulations as they
shall deem proper. Alderman Wilkinson and
Couneilmen Dinsmoor and Smith constituted
that committee, and leased the rooms of the
Social Union, and the books recommended, 433
in number, were purchased, which, with the
2644 received from the association, made a total
of 3077 volumes. The first librarian was Cy-
rus Piper, who reported at the annual meeting
valuable gifts of books, reports, public docu-
ments, etc., and not a book lost during the
year.

In 1877 the city passed an ordinance "com-
mitting the Library to a Board of Trustees
consisting of six persons, three of whom may
be ladies, and all to serve without compensa-
tion, to be appointed as follows: two for one
year, two for two years and two lor three
years, and at the expiration of the term of
office of each two, their successors shall be ap
pointed for three years." William P. Cham-
berlain, Mrs. H. M. Hatch, A. B. Hey wood,
Mrs. M. R. Osborne, D. W. Gilbert and Mrs.
E. J. C. Gilbert constituted the board of trus-
tees, four of whom have remained on the board
until the present time, and the librarian then,
Miss Brooks, who succeeded her father after his
decease, is still at her post.

The mayor, in his review of the library the
third year after its transfer to the city, depre-
cated the fact " that so large a per cent, of the
books read were fiction, revealing a frivolous
taste prevailing in the community/' In 18*0
the Keeiie Public Library became a member of
the Library Association, and the trustees
availed themselves of the valuable aid afforded

KEENE.

thereby to increase the efficiency of their
library. The lack of two things had been a
hindrance to its growth and prosperity, viz. : a
proper classification of books and a catalogue
that would be a more complete guide in the
finding of books.

In 1881 a large, commodious and well-
lighted room was provided by the city in City
Hall Block, and the books were renumbered
and classified, according to their subjects. A
card-catalogue had also been completed, based
upon the same plan, and containing copious ref-
erences to the contents of books, and an exhaust-
ive analysis of the subjects treated in them. A new
method of keeping the record of books loaned
and returned, has been adopted, which, in effici-
ency and simplicity is much superior to the old
ledger system, and lost books can be more easily
traced. The book committee of three persons,
chosen from the board of trustees, have always
aimed to carry out the legitimate object of a pub-
lic library — that of furnishing the means of in-
struction and education, instead of amusement
only, and have placed on the shelves works of an
enduring character, such as should render it more
valuable as it increases in size, instead of filling
it with books of a sensational nature, which will
become valueless when their short day has passed.
Many valuable gifts have greatly enhanced the
value of the library. And before closing this
fragmentary sketch permit me to invite the
citizens of our county, when visiting Keene for
business or pleasure, to step into our Public
Library, where our obliging and business-like
librarian will show the admirable working of the
card-catalogue (which cost days and months of
continuous labor), where the anxious seeker after
some missing-link, with which to complete his
essay or discussion, is directed straight to the
hidden truth or historical fact, and thus much
valuable time is saved. Then, passing on to the
Reference Department, pause and look over
the table covered with the best magazines, and
if it chance to be out of school hours, you will
see pupils seated around it, not to read the
stories, but to glean choice bits of knowledge
from the excellent articles on science, biography
and travel, contributed by master-minds in our
own and foreign lands.

But the grandest portion of our library is the
solid books of reference and excellent maps and
charts. Here you will find the members of our
higher grades of school, with pencil and note-
book in hand, carefully noting facts and dates
to aid them in acquiring the liberal education
which is the birthright of every child in Keene.

One who has been abroad many years said,
on returning here to his native city, " I find the
beauty of Keene greatly enhanced by her fine
public and private buildings, her broad streets
beautified and arched by the spreading branches
of her noble elms ; but the crowning gem to me
is her Public Library, with its almost faultless
appointments."

But this " beginning," we trust, is only the
earnest of the future Public Library of Keene,
when, through the munificence of our late gen-
erous citizen, John Symonds, supplemented by
the aid of both of our citizens, a fire-proof build-
ing, with its library hall filled with light alcoves,
holding their precious treasures, its well-
appointed reading-room, its art gallery and
museum of natural history, when the fifty-five
hundred volumes shall be multiplied, it may be
five times, it may be ten, and who knows, but a
hundred-fold !

The present board of trustees are AVilliam
P. Chamberlain, Dexter W. Gilbert, Charles
H. Hersey, Mrs. E. J. C. Gilbert, Miss Kate I.
Tilden, Mrs. M. R. Osborne; Mrs. L. M.
Converse, librarian ; Miss Z. B. Gilmore, as-
sistant librarian.

The Press. — The first newspaper in Keene
was the New Hampshire Recorder and Weekly
Advertiser, established by James D. Griffith in
1787. This was continued until March 3,
1791.

The New Hampshire Sentinel was established
in March, 1799, by John Prentiss, who was
connected with it nearly half a century. His
son, John W., became associated with him in
October, 1828, and the paper was conducted
under the firm-name of J. & J. W. Prentiss
until June 20, 1834, when John Prentiss again
appears to be the sole proprietor. In 1838 the
firm again became J. & J. W. Prentiss. In
1847 J. W. Prentiss again assumed control, and
soon after Alfred Godfrey became associated

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

with its publication, under the name of J. W.
Prentiss & Co. July b", 1855, the American
News was united with the Sentinel, and the firm
became A. Godfrey and G. S. Woodward. It
was subsequently published by S. & G. S.
Woodward; later by Thomas Hale, G. S.
Woodward, Albert Godfrey and T. C. Rand.
In July, 1865, the firm consisted of T. C.
Rand, (J. S. Woodward and Oliver L. French.
In 1866 it was issued by George Ticknor &
Co. From December, 1866, to 1868, Mr.
French was the sole proprietor. Mr. T. C.
Eland then purchased an interest, and the Sentinel
was conducted by Hand & French until Sep-
tember, 1872, when C.J. Woodward purchased
an interest, and the paper was then issued by
the Sentinel Publishing Company, which name
has continued to the present time. No further
change appeared in the ownership of the paper
until March, 1880, when Mr. William H. Pren-
tiss became a member of the firm, and the Sentinel
is now published by Messrs. Rand, Woodward
and Prentiss, under whose able management
it has taken front rank among the leading
journals of the State. It is Republican in
politics.

The Cheshire Republican, the leading Demo-
cratic paper of Western New Hampshire, was
established in Walpole, N. H., April 11, 1793,
and removed to Keene November 14, LX28. It
was originally called the Farmers' Museum. It
has been successively published since its removal
here by Nahum Stone, B. Cooke, H. A. Bill,
Horatio Kimball, J. X. Morse and W.B.Allen,
J. N. Morse, and Joshua 1). Colony & Sons.
The Republican came into the possession of
Colony & Sons in 1878 and atonce entered upon
a prosperous era. They brought to the enterprise
energy and ability, which soon became manifest.
It is Democratic in politics and a fearless ex-
ponent of the principles of that party.

The following are obsolete publications :
The Cheshire Advertiser, The Coluinbian In-
former, The Rising Sun and the American News .
The latter was merged with the Sentinel in
1855.

The New England Observer was com-
menced at White River Junction, Vt., January
1, 1878, as The Republican Observer. Thomas

Hale, a veteran journalist, was its founder, and
he continued to be its editor and publisher un-
til June, 1880, when the subscription-list and
material was purchased by a stock company
and removed to Keene, and the paper was re-
christened the New England Observer. Mr.
Hale remained as its editor until the following
spring, when he was succeeded by H. L. In-
maii, the manager, who has since filled both po-
sitions. The New England Observer is Repub-
lican in politics, but not in an organic sense,
reserving the right at all times to believe that the
good of all is preferable to the success of any
party, when that party is clearly in the wrong.

Keene ix 1831. — The first Directory of
Keene was published in 1831, "with four
original engraving-." This Directory contained
the names of thirteen streets and about five
hundred people. The business interests, etc.,
at that time were represented as follows :

Apothecaries. — S. & H. Gerould, A. & T. Hall.

Attorneys- at- Law. — Samuel Dinsinoor, Jr., Elijah
Dunbar, Thomas M. Edwards, Elijah Parker, Joel
Parker, James Wilson, James Wilson, Jr.

Booksellers. — J. & J. W. Prentiss, Geo. Lincoln.

Baptist Church. — Eev. E. Hale, pastor.

First Congregational Church. — Rev. Z. S. Barstow,
pastor; Elijah Carter, Thomas Fisher, C. H. Jaquith,
Abijah Wilder, deacons.

Keene Congregational Society. — Rev. T. R. Sullivan,
pastor; Samuel Wood and Adolphus Wright, deacons.

Engine Companies. — No. 1, John V. Wood, captain ;
No. 2, J. B. Davis, captain.

Insurance Agents. — Elijah Parker, Thomas M. Ed-
wards, Justus Perry.

Hotels. — Eagle Hotel, Stephen Harrington, proprie-
tor; Phoenix Hotel, John Hatch, proprietor.

Taverns. — Henry Goodenow, Abigail Metcalf, Josiah
Sawyer, J. & R. Shelly and Samuel Streeter.

Libraries. — Cheshire Athciueum, Cheshire Theolog-
ical Institute, Juvenile Library, Keene Book Society,
Circulating Library, School Library.

Livery Stables. — Stilbnan French, T. E. Sears.

Manufacturers. — Perry, Wheeler & Co., bottles ;
Adams, Hohnan & Dutton, A. & T. Hull, potashes ;
Adams, Holman & Dutton, window-glass.

Baker. — Amos Wood.

Blacksmiths. — Aaron Davis, J. Daniels, J. Towns,
X. Wilder, J. Wilson, N. Wood.

Book-Binder. — George Tilden.

Brick-Maker — Thomas M. Edwards.

Butchers. — Barker & McNiel.

Carpenters. — Nathan Bassett, S. Crossfiehl, K. Cross-
field, John Fitch, E. Newcomb, Jotham Parker, G.
W. Sturdevant, John S. Thatcher.

KEENE.

Chaise- Maker. — Thomas F. Ames.

Clock-Maker. — Luther Smith.

Clothiers. — Faulkner & Colony.

Coopers. — Abel Angier, A. Dodge, Elisha Fassett,
E. Hale, James Perry, Silas Perry.

Glazier. — Walter Taylor.

Gravestone- Maker. — Eliphalet Briggs.

Gun-Maker — John C. Mason.

Hair-Dresser. — Adolphus Wright.

Hatter. — Dexter Anderson.

Hoe-Makers. — Aaron Davis, Azel Wilder.

Last-Maker. — C. H. Jaquith.

Masons. — J. B. Davis, J. F. Locke, D. Marsh, J.
Parker, C. Wilson.

Millers. — T. Dwinell, Jr., Faulkner & Colony, E.
Holbrook, Geo. Page.

Milliners and Dress-Makers.— Jerusha Brown, Misses
Dodge, Harriet Keyes, Jane N. Leonard, Eliza R.
Eidgway.

Millwrights. — Enos Holbrook, George Page, Aaron
Willson, Jr.

Morocco-Dressers. — Harington & King.

Pail-Makers. — S. Perry, J. Willson.

Painters. — Gideon Clark, Charles Ingalls, Walter
Taylor.

Printers. — J. & J. W. Prentiss, N. Stone.

Pump-Makers. — Page & Holman, Oliver Willson.

Saddlery. — T. F. Ames, David Watson.

Shingle- Maker. — George Page.

Shoemakers. — Harington & King, C. H. Jaquith,
Abijah Kingsbury. Wilson & Wade.

Sleigh- Maker. — A. Wilder, Jr.

Stone- Cutters. — A. Dickerson, J. Ellis.

Tailors. — G. C. Dean, Montague & Wright, Mon-
tague & Dinsmore.

Tailoresses. — Mrs. Baker, Esther Page, Hannah
Stiles, Mrs. Welden, Mary Wright.

Tanners. — Harington & King, C. Larnson.

Tinner. — J. P. Barber.

Turners. — Page & Holman, A. Wilder.

Jewelers. — J. Corbett, S. & H. Gerould, J. H. Pond,
J. Ridgeway.

Wheel-Bead Maker.— A. Wilder.

Wheelwright. — C. P. Perkins.

Music and Musical Instruments. — George Tilden.

Newspapers. — The Farmer's Museum, Xahum Stone,
editor; New Hampshire Sentinel, J. & J. W. Prentiss,
circulation, 1150.

Physicians. — Charles G. Adams, J. B. Dousman,
Amos Twitchell.

Saw-Mills.— Thomas Dwinell, Jr., Faulkner & Col-
ony, Perry & Angier, J. Perry. George Page, Caleb
Wright.

The selectmen for this year were Eliphalet
Briggs, Henry Coolidge and Thomas Thomp-
son ; Eliphalet Briggs, clerk ; William Dins-
more, postmaster ; Representatives, Aaron Hall
and James Wilson, Jr.

There were fourteen school districts, with six-
teen teachers and seven hundred and sixty-eight
scholars. The school money raised was thir-
teen hundred and fifty dollars. The enterpris-
ing business men, as evidenced by the adver-
tisements in this pioneer Directory, were Thomas
F. Ames, George Tilden, John C. Mason,
Abijah Kingsbury, Adams, Holman & Dutton,
Lamson & Dutton, A. & T. Hall, Evans &
Perkins, Montague & Dinsmoor, Perry, Wheeler
& Co., S. & H. Gerould and J. & J. W. Pren-
tiss. It contained a view of the Congregational
Church, Unitarian Church, Phoenix and Eagle
Hotels.

Post-Office. — The late Hon. Salma Hall,
while compiling his "Annals of Keene," wrote
to the Post-Office Department at Washington
in relation to the first post-office in this town,
and received the following letter in reply :

"Owing to the destruction of a large part of the
books and papers of the Department, by the fire of
1836, we have no means of giving satisfactory answers
to the inquiries contained in your letter of the 5th
inst. We are enabled, however, to state positively
that, in the early part of 1795, Asa Bullard was the
Postmaster at Keene, N. H. (then spelt Keen). His
account, rendered for the quarter (or part of the
quarter, possibly) ending 31st March, 1795, shows
that the net proceeds of the office for that quarter
amounted to $1.36. The next quarter, it appears,
they came up to $4.49. By the Auditor's records,
which go back to 1775, it does not appear that any
account, prior to the above, was opened with the
office at Keene. From this circumstance, and the fact
that Keene is not mentioned in the list of offices
(about two hundred in number, and believed to be all
then in operation in the United States), to which a
circular of the Postmaster-General was sent, under
date of 18th June, 1792, it seems very probable that
Asa Bullard was the first Postmaster of Keene, and
that he was appointed some time in the first quarter
of 1795, or, possibly, in the latter part of 1794.

" It appears, by a copy of a letter from the First
Assistant Postmaster-General to Jeremiah Libbey,
Esq., Postmaster of Portsmouth, N. H, dated 16th
Sept., 1794, that ' Ozias Silsby's proposal for carrying
the mail from Boston to Keen' had then just been ac-
cepted ; and contracts were enclosed for execution.
It is not stated when the contract was to go into oper-
ation, nor how frequently the mail was to be conveyed.
It seems that the route to Keene was by the way of
Portsmouth ; and it is not probable that the service
beyond Portsmouth was oftener than once a week,
because it appears that, in winter, it was at that time
but twice a week between Boston and Portsmouth.

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

How long the mail was in passing between the two
places (Boston and Keene) we have not, from any of
the existing records, been able to ascertain." l

Tin-: Kino's Cannon. — At the term of the
Superior Court held in Keene in October, 1807,
came on the trial of a prosecution instituted by
the inhabitants of Walpole against certain citi-
zens of Keene " for taking and carrying aw ay,
in the night-time, a piece of ordnance of the
value of two hundred dollars, the property of
said town of Walpole."

For the better understanding of this matter,
it is necessary to go back to a remote period of
our history. In the early settlement of the
country, on Connecticut River, four forts were
erected on its banks, and each was supplied by
His Majesty", the King of England, with a large
iron cannon. These forts were numbered — that
at Chesterfield being No. 1, that at Westmore-
land No. -, that at Walpole No. 3 and that at
( "harlestown No. 4. These cannons remained in
those several towns after the achievement of
our independence, were prized as trophies of
victory, and made to speak in triumphant tones
mi every Fourth of July and other days of
public rejoicings. Their reports sounded to the
inhabitants of the adjoining towns as exulting
claims to superiority, they having no such
trophies to speak for them. That at Walpole was
left unguarded in the Main Street. In the
spring of this year a citizen of Keene, then a
youth, but since distinguished in the service of
his country, having received an elegant sword
for his gallant defense, in the War of 1812, of

1 It lias been ascertained that Asa Bullard was an officer
in the Revolutionary War — probably a captain, for he was
so styled when he first, came to Keene. While here he re-
ceived an appointment in the militia which gave him the
rank of major, and he was afterwards known as Major
Bullard. He resided and kept the post-office in the rough-
ca»i house formerly occupied by Elijah Dunbar, and now
by Joshua Wyman. He afterwards removed to Walpole
and kept tavern there; and it was at his house thai for
some time t he club of scholars and wits, who made them-
selves and the Farmers' Museum famous throughout the
country, by their lucubrations, and consisted of Joseph
Dennie, afterwards editor of Portfolio, at Philadelphia,
Royal Tyler, afterwards chief justice of Vermont, Samuel
Hunt ami Roger Vose, both afterwards members of Con-
gress, Samuel West and others, held their periodical sym-
posiums.

Fort Covington, near Baltimore, arranged a
party who repaired to Walpole in the night,
took possession of the cannon and brought it in
triumph to Keene.

The whole population of Walpole were in-
dignant at being deprived, in this way, of their
valued trophy, and determined to appeal to the
laws to recover it. Several attempts to arrest
the offenders proved abortive, but this only
added to their zeal. A respectable citizen of
Walpole was sent to aid the sheriff. Knowing
that he whom they most wished to secure con-
cealed himself whenever apprized that the officer
was visible, they lay in ambush for him in the
swamps south and west of his father's residence.
It happened that Dr. Adams was at this time
gunning, as was his frequent habit, in the same
grounds. He saw them, and knowing that they
saw him, he walked hurriedly away. They fol-
lowed; he hastened his walk, they theirs, until
the walk became a run, and the run a race. His
knowledge of the minute topography of the place
enabled him to take such direction as might best
suit his purpose. Methinks I see him now,
lightly springing from hassock to hassock, from
turf to log, now and then looking back, with
face sedate and eagle eye, to see how his pur-
suers sped. By turning and winding he led
them into a bog, and gained distance while they
were struggling to gain firm foothold. They
outran him, however, and arrested him at his
door; but were soon convinced they had not
caught the right man, and returned, not the less
irritated, to Walpole.

Several of the delinquents were at length
arrested and brought to trial. The court (Chief
Justice Smith, afterwards Governor, presiding)
decided that the said cannon was not the prop-
erty of the said town of Walpole, and the de-
fendants were discharged. It was immediately
drawn near the court-house, loaded and fired.
"May it please your honor," said Counselor
Vose, "the case is already reported.1'

This was the year in which the sufferings
from the Embargo exasperated a large portion
of the people of New England. It is worthy
of note that the selectmen of Keene, on being
legally requested so to do, called a meeting of
the qualified voters of the town " to take into

KEENE.

consideration the present alarming situation of
our country, to express our sentiments thereon
and to adopt such measures for a redress of
grievances as shall be thought expedient." It
was the practice in Revolutionary times for towns
to resolve and even act in their corporate capa-
city in relation to public affairs ; but the in-
stances have been few in which they have so
done since the adoption of the Constitution of the
United States. This instance is not now men-
tioned to censure it. It might be attended with
many good results if all the citizens of a town
were to be called together occasionally to dis-
cuss public measures. At such meeting all
parties might be heard, and argument be com-
bated by argument. At this meeting several
resolutions were adopted, but no measures were
determined on.

The irritation of the people of Walpole at
the loss of their valued trophy, or more, per-
haps, at the manner in which they had been de-
prived of it, continued unabated ; and they de-
termined to take redress into their own hands.
They had been informed that the cannon was
concealed in a granary, in a back store, on the
south side of West Street, near Main Street. On
the evening of the 4th of July a plot was ar-
ranged to regain possession of it. A confederate
(a stage-driver) was sent immediately to Keene,
in a huge stage-wagon, to gain information and
take measures to facilitate the execution of the
project. He ascertained that it was concealed in
the place mentioned, bargained for some grain,
and, at his suggestion, was allowed to take
the key, that he might get the grain very
early in the morning without disturbing
the clerks. Returning immediately, he met on
their way a cavalcade of about thirty, mostly
young men, commanded by a military officer of
high rank, and made his report. They left
their horses in the cross-road, then fringed with
bushes, leading from Court Street to Washing-
ton Street, and in a few minutes entered the
granary. The first motion of the cannon,
the night being still, made a terrific
noise. The town bell was rung and an alarm of
fire was raised. The men in the granary la-
bored for a time without success, and almost
without hope. Outside, men were seen skulk-

ing behind buildings and flitting from corner
to corner. At length, by a desperate effort,
it was lifted into the wagon, and the team
hurried towards Walpole. At break of day
they were welcomed home by the ringing of the
bell and by the applause of a crowd awaiting in
anxiety the return of their fellow-townsmen.

In the mean time a large number of the
citizens of Keene mounted their horses and pur-
sued the returning party ; but fortunately they
took the wrong road, and thus a desperate con-
flict was avoided. A report was current, at the
time, that they took the wrong road by design ;
but this was pronounced a base and baseless
slander.

But the history of the King's cannon is not
yet complete. It was soon afterwards furtively
taken by a body of men from Westminster,
Vt., to be used jn celebrating the Declaration of
Independence ; and was retaken, on a sudden on-
set, by a large body of men from Walpole, the
selectmen at their head, while actually iu use
for that purpose. It was afterwards taken by
men from Alstead, and report says that it was,
after that, appropriated by an iron founder and
transmuted into implements of husbandry.

Manufacturing Interests. — The Faulk-
ner & Colony woolen-mill is one of the oldest es-
tablishments of its kind in the State. The entire
production of this mill is flannel. The founders
of this interest have long since passed away, and
the business is now conducted by their descend-
ants.

The Keene Furniture Company was estab-
lished in 1868. This company employs about
one hundred hands. Its principal owner is
Edward Joslin ; F. L. Sprague and C. L.
Kingsbury are the managers of the business.
The works are located in the Hope Steam Mill
Company's buildings.

The Cheshire Chair Company is also located
in the buildings of the Hope Steam Mill Com-
pany. It was organized January 1, 1869, and
at present consists of Edward and C. E. Joslin
and George W. McDuffee. The Keene Chair
Company is also a large establishment, at South
Keene, of which Hon. S. W. Hale is president.

The celebrated "Clipper " mowing-machine is
manufactured at South Keene. Among other

100

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

manufacturers are Nims, Whitney & Co., manu-
facturers of sash, doors and blinds ; C. N. Tot-
tingham A: Co., manufacturers of sleighs.
J. & F. French, manufacture the Keene sleigh.
This business was commenced in 1839. AYil-
kinson& McGregor manufacture the celebrated
Keene harness. The Humphrey Machine Com-
pany manufactures the I X L turbine water-
wheel. A wheel costing ten thousand dollars was
made at this establishment, in 1884, for a Low-
ell mill; pottery (J. S. Taft & Co.), brick,
paint-brushes, impervious cans, etc., are also
manufactured here. The Hope Steam Mill
( 'oiiipany. in addition to supplying power for
other manufacturers, manufactures pails, tubs,
etc.; John Simons, tannery; Frank E. Foster,
tannery; Morse Bros., soap-works; Upham's
glue works.

Mkmhers of Congress. — Keene has fur-
nished six members of Congress : Peleg Sprague,
Samuel Dinsmoor, Sr., Joseph Buffum, Salma
Hale, James Wilson, Jr., and Thomas McKay
Edwards.

Governors. — Samuel Dinsmoor and his son,
Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr.,1 have been the only Gov-
ernors elected from Keene until 1882. In that
year Samuel W. Hale was elected Governor.

War of the Rebellion. — The first war-
meeting was held in Keene April 20, 1861. The
meeting was called to order by Hon. Levi
Chamberlain, and the following officers were
chosen: President, ex-Governor Samuel Dins-
moor; Vice-Presidents, ex-Governor William
llaile, Colonel David Buffum, Captain J. S.
Adams, William P. Wheeler, Colonel Benjamin
Read, Colonel T. A. Barker, F. A. Faulkner
and Hon. Jacob Taylor; Secretaries, George H.
Tilden and A. S. Whitcomb.

This meeting was an enthusiastic one, and one
of the resolutions adopted at its close was "that
we will encourage ami sustain, with our approval
and sympathy, and also with ' material aid,'

1 Levi Chamberlain of the Cheshire bar, was at one time
the opposing candidate of the latter. Mr. Chamberlain,
well knowing that in Keene the men of his own political
stripe preponderated, playfully suggested, with his charac-
teristic mirth, that t<> avoid putting the State to so much
trouble, Mr, Dinsmoor and he had best " leave the case
nut " to the decision of the friends and neighbors by whom
they were best known.

those citizens of our county who shall enroll
themselves as soldiers in response to the recent
call of the Governor." And most thoroughly
was this resolution carried out. Keene respond-
ed promptly to the call of her imperiled country.
Rev. William Orne White, in speaking of
this " war-meeting," in the admirable address
delivered by him in Keene, July 4, 1876,
says —

" Tt was a memorable scene, when, in the sunlight
of the afternoon of May 20th, 1861, the late Ex-Gov-
ernor Dinsmoor stood upon the platform erected for
the occasion, on Central Square, and, in presence of
a multitude, said, as he introduced to them Hon.
James Wilson, still happily spared to us (both deco-
rated with the red, white and blue) : ' Amid the gen-
eral gloom which pervades the community there is
yet one cause for congratulation, — that we at last see
a united North.' Representing different political or-
ganizations, these honored men served to typify the
patriotism, which, in that trying hour, fused so many
hearts in one. How the women, moved with a com-
mon purpose, toiled week alter week, year after year,
in connection with the ' Soldiers' Aid Society,' or to
help the benevolent work of the United States Sani-
tary Commission ! - How like romance sound some
of the surprises caused by the handicraft of the New
Hampshire women.3 A Dublin soldier-boy, in his
distant hospital, gains strength to scan the names in-
scribed upon his album-quilt, and is strangely stirred
as the names grow more and more familiar, until at
last he sees the handwriting of his own mother.

" As we recall those memorable days, how that com-
pany of the Second Regiment, moving forth from our
railroad station, at the signal of prayer, comes back to
our minds, and those tents of the New Hampshire
Sixth, as for weeks together they whitened the plains
beyond the Ashuelot ! How shall I speak of the cour-
age, the patience, the devotion of sueh nun '.' I aban-
don the attempt. In summer and winter, week in and
week out, they have their perpetual orator. There
he stands in brazen panoply of armor ! If you have
never heeded him, you will not heed me! But in

2So early as March 1 1, 1862, the town votes three thou-
sand dollars for the relief of wives, children or parents of
volunteers.

8 After the subsidence of the war five hundred dollars
a year were paid l>y a combination of persons in the va-
rious religious societies, for two or three years, to the
" Keene Freedinan's Aid Society.'' The "Ladies' Charita-
ble Society " unites, as it has for many years, the sympa-
thies of all the parishes. The "Invalids' Home " was
founded chiefly by the aid of the "Keene Congregational
(or Unitarian) Society, " its chief benefactor being the late
Charles Wilson, who left to the Home the sum of one thou-
sand dollars.

KEENE.

101

his meditative attitude, to me he speaks, uot wholly
of the storm-cloud of battle, nor of freedom dawning
upon millions of a once enslaved race ; he seems to
dream, besides, of brighter days for his country, days
when ' men shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks, nation shall not
lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more.' The time shall come when no living
tongue among their comrades shall be left to tell of
Lane and Leverett, of Metcalf and Flint, Crossfield
and Rugg, and Howard and Cheney, and their asso-
ciates, who returned, not alive, to the dear old home !
One by one, all who bore part in the gigantic contest
shall have passed onward. Yet even then, God grant
that those silent lips may speak eloquently to the fu-
ture dwellers in this happy valley, of those sons of
Keene who, in behalf of their country, presented 'their
bodies a living sacrifice.' "

The record of Keene during the War of the
Rebellion is one in which her citizens may justly
feel a patriotic pride. Captain Henry C. Han-
derson recruited the first volunteers. The first
company raised became Company G of the First
Regiment, A. J. Sargent, captain. The follow-
ing companies also went out from Keene : Com-
pany A, Second Regiment, T. A. Barker, cap-
tain ; Company F, Fifth Regiment, H. T. H.
Pierce, captain ; Company E, Sixth Regiment,
O. G. Do'rt, captain ; Company I, Ninth Regi-
ment, John W. Babbitt, captain ; Company G,
Fourteenth Regiment, Solon A. Carter, captain.
A portion of Company K, Third Regiment, was
also from Keene.

The Sixth Regiment was organized at Keene,
commanded by Colonel Nelson Converse, and
later by ( 'olouel S. G. Griffin, afterwards major-
general. A portion also of Company K, Third
Regiment, was from this town.

The following is the roll of honor :

Captain Henry N. Metcalf, killed at Gettysburg.

A. W. Heaton, died of wounds, May 25, 1862.

William H. Hookins, died of wounds, July 25,
18G2.

G. H. Muchmore, first lieutenant, killed at second
battle of Bull Run.

J. H. Jenks, sergeant-major, killed at Cedar Creek,
October 19, 1864.

Edward E. Sturdevant, major, killed at Fredericks-
burg.

Henry Holton, died March 17, 1863.

John A. Drummer, died December 9, 1861.

John G. Darling, died.

Henry White, died December 9, 1861.

C. C. Cheney, died February 26, 1862.

Henry Flint, died October 16, 1862.

George W. Marsh, drowned August 31, 1862.

Henry Sprague, died August 17, 1863.

C. D. Chase, died July 20, 1863.

F. J. Leverett, died October 2, 1863.

E. J. Perham, died October 26, 1862.

C. E. Towns, died February 20, 1865.

N. T. Dunn, died September 8, 1864.

L. M. Parker, died June 20, 1865.

Edwin Marvin, died December 15, 1862.

E. F. Dickinson, died of wounds, June 17, 1864.

H. W. Willard, died March 3, 1865.

Charles J. Wilder, killed October 13, 1864.

Soldiers' Monument. — The first move-
ment for the erection of a soldiers' memorial in
Keene was started in 1868, when two thousand
dollars was voted for the purpose, and a build-
ing committee chosen. In August, 1870, an
additional sum of five thousand dollars was
voted, and a committee of five chosen to erect
upon Central Square such a monument as they
should think best.

The monument stands at the extreme south
end of the park in Central Square, facing the
south. It was designed by Martin Milmore, of
Boston, and was cast by the Ames Manufactur-
ing Company, of Chicopee, Mass.

It consists of a bronze figure of a soldier, eight
feet in height, standing at rest; the butt of the
musket is placed upon the ground, and, passing
up between the right arm and the body, is sup-
ported by the right hand, which is raised to-
wards the shoulder and grasps the piece in a firm
but pliant manner.

The figure rests principally upon the right
leg, while the left is advanced to an easy posi-
tion, giving balance and repose to the whole.

The drapery is that of a common soldier in
the late war, including the overcoat, which was
so useful in active service, and which now serves
so admirably as a foil to the stiffness of the or-
dinary costume and gives to the figure something
of the grace necessary to a work of art. The
pose of the figure is easy, at the same time firm
and commanding. The countenance ex-
presses that clear intelligence and sterling com-
mon sense which distinguishes the true American
volunteer, and the whole aspect of the statue is
that of the courageous, ready, firm and patriotic
citizen-soldier. The figure stands upon a pedestal

102

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

of Roxbury granite, composed of the following
sections :

A lower base, seven and one-half feet square
and fifteen inches high ; second base, six feet
two inches square and eighteen inches high ;
third base, five feet four inches square and nine
inches high; fourth base, four feet ten inches
square and twelve inches high. On these four
bases rest the die, which is four feet square by
five feet eight inches in height ; the whole sur-
mounted by a cap, five feet four inches square
and eighteen inches thick. On the south of the
die is a bronze tablet, forty-eight by thirty-three
inches, bearing the following inscription :

" Keene will cherish in perpetual honor the mem-
ory of her sons who fought for liberty and the integ-
rity of the Republic.

1861-1865.
" The honor of the heroic dead is the inspiration of
posterity."

The entire height of the pedestal is twelve
feei ten inches, and the total height of the pedes-
tal and statue twenty feet ten inches. Surround-
ing the monument, and distant from it ten feet,
is a granite curbing.

The monument was dedicated October 20, 1871,
amid a large concourse of people. Many distin-
guished guests were also present, among whom
were ( ieneral Kilpatrick, General Garfield, Gov-
ernor Weston and staff, Mr. Mil more, of Boston,
and others. The introductory address of the day
was delivered by Major-General S. G. Griffin,
who was president of the day. The presentation
address was delivered by Dr. Geo. B. Twitchell,
and Mr. Geo. H. Gilbert, chairman of the Board
of Selectmen, responded with an address of accept-
ance. The oration was delivered by General
Judson Kilpatrick. Remarks were also made
by Governor Weston, Senator Patterson, General
Garfield, Colonel Carroll D. Wright, Martin
Milmore, Hon. Thomas M. Edwards, Hon. Ho-
sea Parker, ( ieneral Natt. Head, General M. T.
Donahue and Hon. Peter Sanborn.

PHYSICIANS. — The following physicians have
practiced in this town : Dr. Daniel Adams, Amos
Twitchell, Chas. E. Adams, (sonof Dr. Daniel),
Jos. Wheeler, Thaddeus Met 'arty, Daniel Hough,

J. B. Douseman, George B. Twitchell,

Smith, J. F. Jenison, Thos. B. Kitteredge, Dr.

Cole, A. S. Carpenter, H. H. Darling, Ira
Prouty, Wm. Geddes (deceased), Wm. R. Dur-
ham, Geo. W. Flagg, I. J. Prouty, Dr. G. C.
Hill, Mrs. G. C. Hill, G. H. Bridgman, S. M.
Dinsmoor, A. B. Thurston and J. H. Leach.

City of Keene. — The first meeting of the
legal voters of Keene for the choice of city and
ward officers was held on the second Tuesday
in April, 1874, when the following officers
were elected; and on the 5th day of May fol-
lowing were duly clothed with administrative

powers.

1874.

Mayor : Horatio Colony.

Aldermen: Ward 1, Horatio Kimball; Ward 2,
Edward Farrar ; Ward 3, Hon H. Woodward ; Ward
4, Francis C. Faulkner ; Ward 5, Reuben Stewart.

City Clerk: Henry S. Martin.

President Common Council : Henry H. Darling.

Councilmen : Ward 1, Alanson S. Whitcomb, Fran-
cis French, Franklin J.Ware; Ward 2, Henry H.
Darling, Miles S. Buckminster, George W. Holbrook ;
Ward 3, Joseph K. Beal, James W. Dodge, Nathan
G. Woodbury; Ward 4, Frederick H. Kingsbury,
Leander W. Cummings, Charles N. Wilder ; Ward 5,
William Dinsmoor, Oscar J. Howard, Horace Ham-

blett.

1875.

Mayor : Horatio Colony.

Aldermen : Ward 1, Solon S. Wilkinson ; Ward 2,
Edward Farrar ; Ward 3, Joseph R. Beal ; Ward 4,
William P. Abbott ; Ward 5, Reuben Stewart.

City Clerk : Frank H. Starkweather.

President Common Council : Frederick H. Kings-
bury.

Councilmen : Ward 1, Francis A. Perry, Asa Fair-
banks, William L. Davis ; Ward 2, George W. Hol-
brook, Miles S. Buckminster, Asa Smith ; Ward 3,
Allen Giffin, William H. Knowlton, Daniel H. Saw-
yer; Ward 4, Charles N. Wilder, Frederick H.
Kingsbury, Charles Shrigley ; Ward 5, William Dins-
moor, Reuben Hyland, Horace Hamblett.

1876.

Mayor: Edward Farrar.

Aldermen: Ward 1, Solon S. Wilkinson; Ward 2,
Thomas E. Hatch ; Ward 3, Joseph R. Beal ; Ward

4, William P. Abbott; Ward 5, Henry S. Martin.
City Clerk : Frank H. Starkweather.1
President Common Council : Charles Shrigley.
Councilmen: Ward 1, Francis A. Perry, Asa Fair-
banks, Samuel O. Gates; Ward 2, Asa Smith, Oren

5. Gleason, Warren W. Mason ; Ward 3, William H.

1City Clerk Starkweather having died in office June 1st,
Lucius C. Doolittle was elected to fill the place August 8th
following.

KEENE.

103

Knowlton, Daniel H. Sawyer, William P. Chamber-
lain; Ward 4, Charles Shrigley, Josiah M. Wood-
ward, Gardner C. Hill ; Ward 5, Horace Hamblett,
Reuben Hyland, Edward C. Thayer.

1877.

Mayor : Edward Farrar.

Aldermen : Ward 1, George W. Ball ; Ward 2,
Thomas E. Hatch ; Ward 3, Ira F. Prouty ; Ward 4,
George H. Tilden ; Ward 5, Henry S. Martin.

City Clerk : Lucius C. Doolittle.

President Common Council : Gardner C. Hill.

Councilmen : Ward 1, Benjamin D. Hutchins,
James S. Taft, Luther Starkey ; Ward 2, Warren W.
Mason, Oren S. Gleason, Orlen D. Pratt ; Ward 3,
William P. Chamberlain, Jason French, Harvey
Phillips ; Ward 4, Josiah M. Woodward, Gardner C.
Hill, Joseph Wilson ; Ward 5, Edward C. Thayer,
Frederick E. Robinson, George F. Sanborn.

1878.

Mayor : Reuben Stewart.

Aldermen: Ward 1, George W. Ball; Ward 2,
George K. Wright ; Ward 3, Ira F. Prouty ; Ward 4,
George F. Tilden ; Ward 5, Edward C. Thayer.

City Clerk : Lucius C. Doolittle.

President Common Council : James S. Taft.

Councilmen : Ward 1, Benjamin D. Hutchins,
James S. Taft, Daniel R. Cole; Ward 2, James C.
Whittle, Orlen D. Pratt, John W. Nye; Ward 3,
Charles A. Gale, Jason French, Harvey Phillips;
Ward 4, Norris G. Gurnsey, Jehiel Haflow, Joseph
Wilson ; Ward 5, George F. Sanborn, Cheever P.
Felch, Laton Martin.

1879.

Mayor : Reuben Stewart.

Aldermen : Ward 1, Horatio Kimball ; Ward 2,
George K. Wright; Ward 3, Jason French ; Ward 4,
Norris G. Gurnsey ; Ward 5, Luther P. Alden.

City Clerk : Lucius C. Doolittle.

President Common Council : Charles A. Gale.

Councilmen : Ward 1, Charles F. Wilson, Franklin
J. Ware, Fred. A. Barker; Ward 2, James C. Whittle,
John W. Nye, Caleb Goodnow ; Ward 3, Charles A.
Gale, Clark N. Chandler, Albert O. Fisk ; Ward 4,
Jehiel Harlow, Dexter W. Gilbert, Warren O. Wil-
son ; Ward 5, Cheever P. Felch, Laton Martin, James
H. Smith.

1880.

Mayor : Horatio Kimball.

Aldermen : Ward 1, Charles F. Wilson ; Ward 2,
Cyrus Piper ; Ward 3, Jason French ; Ward 4, Norris
G. Gurnsey ; Ward 5, Edward B. Tarbell.

City Clerk: Lucius C. Doolittle.

President Common Council : Dexter W. Gilbert.

Councilmen : Ward 1, Hiram Blake, James
Spencer, Milton M. Parks ; Ward 2, Jerry P. Well-
man, James W. Russell, Charles W. Buckminster ;

Ward 3, Albert O. Fisk, George W. McDuffee, James
H. Fisher ; Ward 4, Dexter W. Gilbert, George H.
Richards, Charles W. Shedd ; Ward 5, James H.
Smith, Sylvanus A. Morse, Henry S. Coulliard.

1881.

Mayor : Ira W. Russell.

Aldermen : Ward 1, Charles F. Wilson ; Ward 2,
Cyrus Piper ; Ward 3, George W. McDuffee ; Ward
4, Dexter W. Gilbert ; Ward 5, Luther P. Alden.

City Clerk : Lucius C. Doolittle.

President Common Council : George H. Richards.

Councilmen : Ward 1, Milton M. Parks, James
Spencer, Rufus Freeman ; Ward 2, Jerry P. Well-
man, James W. Russell, Henry W. Nims ; Ward 3,
James H. Fisher, Clark N. Chandler, Austin E.
Howard ; Ward 4, George H. Richards, Charles W.
Shedd, Zebina K. Graves ; Ward 5, Stephen L. Ran-
dall, De Los C. Ball, Henry S. Coulliard.

1882.

Mayor : Ira W. Russell.

Aldermen : Ward 1, Ralph J. Holt ; Ward 2, George
B. Twitchell ; Ward 3, George W. McDuffee ; Ward
4, Dexter W. Gilbert ; Ward 5, Luther P. Alden.

City Clerk : Lucius C. Doolittle.

President of Common Council : Stephen L. Ran-
dall.

Councilmen : Ward 1, Rufus Freeman, Albert W.
Shelden, Edwin M. Bullard ; Ward 2, Henry W.
Nims, George L. Burdett, Charles L. Johnson ; Ward

3, Clark N. Chandler, Austin E. Howard", Charles
Bridgman ; Ward 4, Zebina K. Graves, Clement J.
Woodward, Charles H. Hersey ; Ward 5, Stephen L.
Randall, De Los C. Ball, Henry S. Coulliard.

1883.

Mayor : Horatio Kimball.

Alderman : Ward 1, Silas Hardy ; Ward 2, George
L. Burdett; Ward 3, George E. Holbrook; Ward 4,
Frederick H. Kingsbury ; Ward 5, Reuben Hyland.

City Clerk : Lucius C. Doolittle.

President of Common Council: Charles H. Her-
sey.

Councilmen : Ward 1, James Marsh, Clark F.
Rowell, Daniel C. Howard ; Ward 2, Walter W. Gla-
zier, Asa M. Holt, Franklin H. Fay ; Ward 3, Austin
E. Howard, Virgil A. Wright, Henry A. Stone ;
Ward 4, Clement J. Woodward, Charles H. Hersey,
Charles Wright ; Ward 5, Leonard Wright, Marcus
Ellis, Frederick A. Barker.

1884.

Mayor: Horatio Kimball.

Aldermen : Ward 1, Daniel C. Howard ; Ward 2,
George L. Burdett ; Ward 3, Henry N. Stone ; Ward

4, Frederick H. Kingsbury ; Ward 5, Reuben Hy-
land.

City Clerk : Lucius C. Doolittle.

President of Common Council : Virgil A. Wright.

104

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAxMFSHIRE.

Councilmen : Ward 1, M. V. B. Clark, Charles S.
Coburn, Harrison R. Ward ; Ward 2, William E. Bur-
dett, Franklin H. Fay, John Gould ; Ward 3, Henry
Giffin, Albert A. Woodward, Virgil A. Wright ; Ward
4, Charles Wright, Abel E. Johnson, Charles Abbott
(2d) ; Ward 5, Frederick A. Barker, William H. El-
liot, Parker C. Butler.

1885-

Mayor: Alfred T. Batchelder.

Aldermen : Ward 1, Daniel C. Howard ; Ward 2,
Franklin H. Fay; Ward 3, Solomon F. Merrill;
Ward 4, Caleb T. Buffum ; Ward 5, De Los C. Ball.

City Clerk: Samuel Nims.

President of Common Council : Charles S. Coburn.

Councilmen : Ward 1, Charles S. Coburn, M. V. B.
Clark, Harrison R. Ward ; Ward 2, John Gould, Syl-
vester Spaulding, Charles R. Nims ; Ward 3, Albert
A. Woodward, Henry Giffin, Charles Wright (2d);
Ward 4, Joshua D. Stevens, Samuel A. Gerould, Jr.,
Henry M. Nims ; Ward 5, Parker C. Butler, Henry 0.
Spaulding, Lester K. Styles.

City Solicitor : John T. Abbott,

City Treasurer : Henry O. Coolidge.

City Marshal : Edwin R. Locke.

Constables : Edwin O. Keith and Edwin R. Locke.

City Messenger : Edwin O. Keith.

Police Justice : Edward Farrar.

City Physician : Gardner C. Hill.

Sexton : Henry Purcell.

Superintendent of Water- Works and Sewers: D. H.
Sawyer.

Superintendent of Highways : Elmer A. Nims.

Librarian : Mrs. Lizzie M. Converse.

Assistant : Miss Zeolide B. Gilmore.

Trustees of Public Library : D. W. Gilbert, Charles
H. Hersey, William P. Chamberlain, Mrs. E. J. C.
( rilbert, Miss Kate I. Tilden and Mrs. M. R. Osborne.

Superintendent of Cemeteries : Henry Purcell.

Overseer of the Poor: William L. Davis.

Health Commissioners : Clark F. Rowell, George
H. Bridgman, M.D., and Don H. Woodward.

Assessors : Sylvanus A. Morse, Daniel A. Brown
and Daniel R. Cole.

Collector: Luther P. Alden.

Kngincers of Fire Department: George D. Whee-
lock (chief), John A. Batchelder, Henry H. Barker,
William H. Reyoum, Chester L. Kingsbury and
1 [enry W. Harvey.

Police Officers: William H. Reyoum, Ira D.
Gates, Jacob Staples, Henry H. Haynes, Edwin O.
Keith, James R. Livermore, Walter C. Fassett,
Frederick L. Pitcher, Frank D. Griswold, Amasa
Plastridge, Frederick H. Wilson and Joseph W.
Cummings.

Surveyors of Wood : Charles K. Pemberton, M. A.
Stowell, C. A. Mason, Z. K. Graves, H. C. Fairbanks,
John B. Fisher, S. L. Bartlett, G. H. Follansbee,
Mortimer Reardon, Eugene Seaver, S. H. Holman,
T. H. Bolio and E. R. Gerould.

Surveyors of Lumber: C. K. Pemberton, M. A.
Stowell, C. A. Mason, S. H. Holman, H. R. Ward,
J. Wilson, D. C. Thompson, M. E. Buckminster,
O. C. Mansfield and Henry N. Stone.

Weighers : H. P. Muchmore, H. A. Woodward,
F. E. Foster, L. P. Alden, William March, George
Giffin, L. W. Hammond and George E. Fuller.

Selectmen: Ward 1, Charles W. Buckminster,
Richard W. Ward, Herbert A. Davis ; Ward 2, Liberty
W. Foskett, George C. Wood, Carlos L. Seavey;
Ward 3, Albert W. Green, Frederick W. Chase, Al-
bert Wright ; Ward 4, Oscar H. Fay, Theodore H.
Bolio, Myron C. Ellis; Ward 5, Calvin II. Ellis,
Charles H. Butler, John Driscoll.

Moderators: Ward 1, James Marsh; Ward 2,
Charles G. Farrar; Ward 3, George E. Whitney;
Ward 4, Zebina K. Graves ; Ward 5, Frederick L.
Pitcher.

Ward Clerks ; Ward 1, Ainsworth M. Nims ; Ward
2, George E. Poole; Ward 3, Hosea Foster; Ward 4,
Michael L. Landers; Ward 5, Frank E. Wheelock.

BIOGKAPHIGAL SKETCHES.

ELLIOT.

Genesis of a New England Branch of the Family, 1G50 to 1880.

The progenitors of the Elliot stock in Great
Britain were undoubtedly of Norman origin,
and their descendants have been for many cen-
turies more or less conspicuous in English and
Scottish annals. The name abroad carries for
the most part a double I and a single t; but in
New England it is often shortened of an Z, or
lengthened by a t.

1. Lieutenant Andrew Elliot, of Bev-
erly, came from Somersetshire, England, with
his family in the latter half of the seventeenth
eentury; married (1) Grace, (2) Mary; was
representative in 1 <i!)0-92, and was one of the
jurors on the Witch Trials. Jlis will is dated
February 2(5, 17<>."5-4, and proved April 2,
1704, in which he mentions: 1st, Mary, his
wife for forty years and more; 2d, his son
William, his present wile, Mary, and children, —
Andrew, William, John, Judith, Mary, Emma
and Elizabeth ; 3d, Ins son Andrew, deceased,
and his children, — Andrew, Samuel, Mercy and
Grace; 4th, his daughter, Mary Woodbury,
relict of Nicholas Woodbury; 5th, his daughter,

E>iq

KEENE.

105

Emma Blower, and her son, Andrew Wood-
bury ; 6th, grandchildren, Joanna and Andrew
Woodbury, children of his son-in-law, Andrew
Woodbury, deceased. — Essex Wills, VIII. 95.
No record is found in Essex County of the
births of his children, and they were probably
all born in East Coker, in England, between
L650 and 1660. He had —

1. Andrew, Jr., born , drowned off Cape

Sable, September, 1688.

II. William,2 born , his will proved

February, 1721-22.

III. Mary, married Nicholas Woodbury.

IV. Emma, married (1) Andrew Woodbury,
(2) A. Blower.

Andrew Elliot, Jr., married Mercy Shattuck
December, 1680; had Mercy, 1681; Andrew
1683 ; Samuel, 1686 ; and Grace, 1687. Many
of his posterity are recorded among the dis-
tinguished citizens of Boston.

2. William Elliot,2 married Mary,
daughter of Francis Brown, of Newbury. He
had sons, —

I. Andrew,3 born March 3, 1682 ; died April
20th, same year.

II. Andrew,3 born March 14, 1683 ; had a
large family.*

III. William,3 born September 14, 1685 ;
had a large family.1

IV. John,3 born May 16, 1693 ; died April,
1751; and daughters: Judith, born March,
1688 ; Mary, born June, 1691 ; Emma, born
May, 1697; and Elizabeth, born October,
1699.

3. John Elliot,3 married (1) April 10,
1715, Elizabeth, daughter of Freeborn Balch,
who died May 21, 1718. Their children were :

I. Skipper,4 born January 1, 1715-16; lived
in Newbury.

II. John,4 born March 10, 1717 ; died June
25, 1781.

* Into the large family, either of William or Andrew,
grandsons of Lieutenant Andrew, and sons of William,
most probably may be traced Elias Elliot, born 1707 ;
married, 1729, Ruth Lawrence, of Groton ; had William,
Oliver, Jeremiah, Elias and five daughters, and died in
1788. His son Oliver lived to the age of one hundred and
two years. — sero in coelum.

Married (2), April 20, 1720, Hannah Waldron.
Their sons were :

II L Nathaniel,4 born March, 1721.

IV. William,4 born July, 1731 ; and
daughters : Frances, born July, 1723 ; Eliza-
beth, born June, 1725; Abigail, born June,
1729 ; and Hannah, born January, 1736.

4. Johx Elliot,4 married Sarah (born
1720, died 1791); settled in Bradford, on the
Merrimac, where his children were born ;
subsequently lived a few years in Nottingham,
and, in his old age, near his sons, in Mason ;
sold, in April, 1764, land in Beverly inherited
from his father ; died 1781. — Essex County
Deeds, Lb. X. p. 240. His sons were :

I. John, Jr., born 1747; married Rachel;
had Andrew, William, David and two
daughters ; died at Hudson.

II. William, Rev., born December, 1748 ;
married Dorothy Merrill, and had a son,
William, Jr., and four daughters ; then mar-
ried Rebecca Hildreth, and had seven sons —
Israel, Joseph, Seth, Jesse, Samuel, Abel, Ad-
dison David — and four daughters.

III. Andrew, Deacon, born 1755 ; married
Hannah Dakin ; had John, Andrew, George,
Amos, William and five daughters; died 1811.

IV. David,5 "Ensign," born 1751; died
1793; and daughters: Abigail, born 1750,
married (1) A. AVinn, (2) W. Barnes, (3) J.
Dakin, had twelve children, died 1844; and
Sarah, born 1753, married John Tarbell.

5. David Elliot.5 — A soldier with his
brother, John, Jr., in Captain Towne's com-
pany, of Colonel Reed's regiment, at the battle
of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775. His company
was discharged at the evacuation of Boston, the
spring following; married (1) 1778, Hannah,
daughter of Deacon Benjamin Adams, of New
Ipswich, born 1761, died 1789. Their chil-
dren were :

I. Hannah, born 1781, died 1855; married
Amos Emory ; their children were : David El-
liot, Eunice Adams, Eliza, Elijah, Harriet, Em-
ily, Elvira, Hannah, Amos, Lucretia, Azro,
Henry Everett, Henrietta.

II. John,6 born 1783, died 1865.
Married (2) Lucy Campbell, ne'e Emory, born

1756, died 1846 ; their children were :

106

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

III. David, born 1790, dial 1798.

IV. Daniel, Dr., born 1792, Dartmouth Col-
lege, 1813; married Abby Greelee ; had two
sons and two daughters, viz.: Augustus (iree-
lce, Henry Bond, Lucy and Caroline; died
1865.

6. John Elliot.6 — Business life, chiefly
with his maternal relative, Aaron Appleton, at
Keene, manufacturing window-glass ; he was
for many years President of the Cheshire Bank,
at Keene ; married Deborah Bixby ; born 17N7,
died 1880, and had two sons and two daugh-
ters, viz.:

I. D. Mafia, died, unmarried, in IS 62, aged
fifty-one.

II. John Henry,7 Harvard University, 183"),
A. 15. and A.M.

III. James Bixby, married (1) Harriet R.
Eames, who died 1868; had four sons and two
daughters, viz. : James H., Harvard Univer-
sity, 1864, Arthur N., George B., Andrew R.,
( trace and Florence.

Married (2) Jane Savage.

IV. Frances, died an infant, 1818.

7. John Henry Elliot,7 studied law; bus-
iness life was spent as treasurer, trustee and ac-
tuary of the Ashuelot Railroad ; secretary and
director of the Cheshire Railroad ; president of
Cheshire Fire Insurance Company and of the
Cheshire Bank ; and president or director in
several other corporations. He was a member
of the Executive Council of New Hampshire
at the fall of the slaveholders' reign and the
rise of the plutocratic rule of the nation. Rei-
publicce forma — laudare facilius guam evenire.
Married, L848, Emily Ann Wheelock, born
1821, died 1860 ; their children were:

I. William Henry, Harvard University,
1872, A.B. andLL.B.; married, 1882, Mary
Fiske Edwards.

II. John Wheelock, Harvard University,
1S74, A.B. and M.D. ; married 1883, Mary
Lee Morse.

III. Emily Jane, married, 1882, Tucker
Daland ; Harvard University, 1873, A.B. and
LL.B.

IV. Russell Gray, died an infant, 1858.

CALEB T. BUFFUM.

Caleb Talbot Bufium, son of James and
Ruth (Bliss) Buffuni, was born in Royalston,
Mass., June 4, 1820. His father, a farmer,
married Ruth, daughter of Nathan Bliss, and
had ten children, of whom six are living. (Na-
than Bliss was one of the "embattled farmers
of 1776," and attained a great age — over ninety
years.) James Bufl'um moved to Keene about
1830, where he now resides, aged ninety-two.

Caleb, in his sixteenth year, went to learn
the tailor's trade with Dinsmore, White &
Lyon, a leading mercantile house of Keene.
Remaining with them four years, he worked as
journeyman one year, then, in IS 11, he formed
a co-partnership with Jonas Parker, under firm-
title of Bulfum & Parker, and commenced
his long and successful business career as a
clothier in Keene. For fifteen years this firm
was one of the prominent mercantile houses of
Keene, and conducted a large and prosperous
business. Then Mr. Butfum, aspiring for a
larger field and greater opportunities, closed his
connection with the firm of which he had been
so long a member and established himself in
Boston as a wholesale dealer in clothing and
furnishing goods. This new sphere of activity
was highly congenial to Mr. Buffum's business
nature, and had not his health failed, he to-day
would doubtless be one of Boston's merchants;
but on account of his health he was compelled
to dispose of his business interests in Boston,
and goto Florida to recuperate. In the spring
he returned to Keene, with his health greatly
improved, and rinding the bracing atmosphere
of his own home to be more beneficial to him
than that of Boston, he repurchased his old
interest in the clothing business, and, with his
brother formed the firm of C. T. & G. B.
Butfum, and, with slight changes, this was con-
tinued until January, 1871, when Mr. BufFum
retired from active business. Asa businessman,
Mr. BufFum ha- been energetic, far-seeing, saga-
cious, careful and conservative. He never
strained his credit and believed heartily in cash
payments, and during his entire business life
never gave but one note in commercial transac-
tion-. Ili- shrewd common sense and good

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107

judgment combined with his financial ability
have made hiin a prominent factor in the
moneyed institutions of Keene. He has been
for several years a director of the Ashuelot
National Bank. When the Keene Five- Cents
Savings-Bank was incorporated, in 1868, he was
one of the incorporators, was made one of the
trustees, and placed on the board of invest-
ment, to which he has given much time, and of
which he is now a valued member. January 1,
1876, he was elected president of the savings-
bank and yet continues in that office. He is
actively interested in the Lombard Investment
Company, of Boston, Mass., and Creston, Iowa,
of which he is a director. He has dealt somewhat
in real estate in Keene and quite largely in
Western and Florida lands. He is interested in,
and officially connected with, several financial
and monetary institutions in the West.

Republican in politics, he represented the
town of Keene two years in the State Legisla-
ture, but has not sought official distinction or
political preferment. He is an alderman of
Keene the present year. In religious belief he
is a liberal Unitarian, and a generous contribu-
tor to that church of which he is a member.
He has been much interested in the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and
for a long term of years was president of the
Keene Humane Society, resigning the position
in 1884.

Mr. Buffum married, first, April 19, 1843,
Susan R., daughter of Lewis Gilmore, of
Charlestown, N. H. ; she died December 21,
1854. Thev had one child, Ellen A., who died
at the age of sixteen. He married, second,
February 23, 1857, Sarah A., daughter of Asa
Stratton, of Greenfield, Mass. The two chil-
dren of this marriage were Fred. Lincoln, born
Xovernber 14, 1860, died December 5, 1867,
aged seven years, and Susie S., born April 19,
1865.

Since his retirement from active business
Mr. Buffum has traveled extensively through-
out the United States, having passed three
winters in Florida, California and on the
Pacific slope. He is a great lover of hunting
and fishing, and enjoys the charms which a
true lover of nature discovers in her varied

creations. It is said of him, by one who knows
him well, that " few men know better how to
crack a joke, catch a fish or make life happier
than Caleb T. Buffum." He has a fine collec-
tion of mounted birds and animals, — trophies of
his skill with gun and rod. To these have
been added other specimens, the gifts of friends,
and various minerals, geological and antiquarian
objects of interest, the whole being arranged
and classified with that system and order which
is an essential part of Mr. Buffum's nature,
and to which he attributes his success in life.

He possesses a strong personality, is leal and
loyal in his friendships, and is a gentleman of
broad and liberal views : consequently an ex-
tremely agreeable social companion. He is
kind and affectionate in his family relations, and
a worthy citizen, whose character through life
has been marked by honesty, integrity and
honor ; he, to-day, holds no second place in the
regards of his large circle of friends.

EX-GOVERNOR SAMUEL W. HALE.

Ex-Governor Samuel W. Hale has been a
well-known resident of Keene for more than
a quarter-century. It was not his native place,
but there he has spent most of his maturer years.
He was born in Fitchburg, Mass., April 2,
1823, and is descended from Moses Hale, of
Newbury, whose son, Moses Hale (2d), married
Abigail Smith, of West Newbury, and came to
Fitchburg to live about 1786. He there
reared a family of children, the third of whom
was Samuel Hale, who married Saloma Whit-
ney, of Westminster, Mass. Both Moses Hale
and his son Samuel were farmers by occupation,
and the old homestead was situated on one of
those magnificent hills which now overlook the
thriving city of Fitchburg. Among these
pleasant surroundings the boy Samuel Whitney
Hale had his birth, and here, by vigorous out-
door labor, a strong physical constitution was
moulded. As is always the case, the early
teachings of this home in moral and religious
truths have exercised a constant influence in
developing character.

The advantages of the district school and
town academy were the best to be had at home,

108

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

but they were improved until the boy graduated
into the more extensive school of life's labors.

At an early age he began to work on his father's
farm, and continued to do so until, at the age
of twenty-two, he left the parental roof to en-
gage in business with his brother, already es-
tablished in Dublin, N. H. There he remained
until thi' year L859, when he removed to Keene,
then a busy town, awakened into life by new
industries. He there began the manufacture of
chairs, at first in a small way; but, as the busi-
uess prospered, enlarging it, until it became the
Smith Keene Chair Company, which has con-
ducted for many years an extensive trade. Mr.
Hale, from time to time, became interested in
various business enterprises. In 1879 he es-
tablished the Ashuelot Furniture Company,
which employed more than one hundred men,
until it was destroyed by fire, in February,
1884. In 1882 he purchased the Lebanon
WOulen Mills, at Lebanon, X. H.

He became a director in the Citizens' National
Bank of Keene and the Wachusett Bank of
Fitchbnrg. The building of the Manchester
and Keene Railroad, now a branch of the Bos-
ton and Lowell, was a great undertaking, and
required the most untiring energy and persever-
ance. It was " confessedly a disastrous failure
until Mr. Hale and his associates came to its
rescue." They succeeded in carrying it to a
successful completion. He was at one time
treasurer of the Boston, Winthrop and Point
Shirley Railroad, and subsequently president of
the Boston, Winthrop and Shore Railroad.

Ever since its organization, ex-Governor Hale
has been a strong supporter of the Republican
party. His first vote was cast lor the Free-Soil
candidate. During the struggles against sla-

0£>

very, in discussion and in the War of the Rebel-
lion, his advocacy of the principles of freedom
and equality was uncompromising. In 1866
he was elected a member of the State Legisla-
ture, and re-elected the next year. He was a
member of the Governor's Council in 1869 and
L870,and a del. gate to the Republican National
Convention in 1880. After a prolonged and
exciting canvass he was nominated, in Septem-
ber, 1882, to be the Republican gubernatorial
candidate. The campaign was one of unusual

interest, but, amid the general disaster which
overtook the Republicans throughout the coun-
try, Mr. Hale was elected Governor of New
Hampshire. He filled the executive office for
a term of .two years, from June, 1883. Dur-
ing his administration many important measures
were adopted. Ex-Governor Hale has been
known as a friend of every good cause. He
is connected with the Second Congregational
Church in Keene, and is a member of the
Masonic order.

He married, in 1850, Emelia M. Hay, of
Dublin, and has two children, — a son, William
S., of Keene, and a daughter, Mary L., the
wife of Rev. William De Loss Love, of Hart-
ford, Conn.

For many years ex-Governor Hale has re-
sided in the house built by ex-Governor
Samuel Dinsmoor, on Main Street, Keene.

JOHN H. FULLER.

No history of Keene would be complete
without more than a reference to John H.
Fuller. Identified with every business de-
velopment, the largest purchaser of wool in the
county, when it was a common thing for a
single farmer to raise from one to two thousand
pounds, he was yet democratic and unconven-
tional in all things, with an honesty that was
never questioned. His son, John Quincy Ful-
ler, furnishes the steel engraving accompanying
this history as a son's tribute to the memory of
a worthy father. The following sketch of Mr.
Fuller was written by J. Henry Elliot, his
associate and friend of years :

John Houghton Fuller was of a family that
emigrated from Lunenburg, in Massachusetts,
to Walpole, in this county, some time in the
final decade of the last century.

He passed his minority in Walpole, and be-
gan active life in a country store, first in Ches-
terfield, then in Winchester and lastly in Keene,
where he soon engaged. in wool dealing, which
became the main business of his after-life.

While Living in Winchester he was called to
act as adjutant-general of the governmenf
forces stationed at Portsmouth in the closing
season of the War of 1812; and it was there,

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109

too, that he married a daughter of the Rev.
Ezra Conant, by whom he had three sons and
three daughters. He was the principal pro-
moter and first president of the Winchester
Bank, of the Ashuelot Railway and the Keene
Five-Cents Savings-Bank.

He reclaimed, at great expense, a large area
of waste land in Keene, lying north of Cross
Street and between Court and Washington
Streets — laid out aDd built streets, located a
school reservation and aided many homeless
families to secure homes upon wise and practic-
able terms.

He died suddenly in the winter of 1869 at
the age of seventy-seven years, leaving a repu-
tation of the highest type of old New England
character and a well-to-do estate, that was in
no way tainted or fused with false weights or
measures.

GOKDIS D. HARRIS.

Arthur Harris, an Englishman, emigrated to
America in the early part of the seventeenth
century, as we find him a resident of Duxbury,
Mass., in 1640, and he was one of the first set-
tlers and one of the three original proprietors
of Bridgewater. He died in Boston in 1693.
He had four children, and of his numerous de-
scendants, many have become distinguished in
the various professions and callings for which
their natural talents and tastes have fitted them.
The line to the present generation is Arthur,
Isaac Abner, Abner, Abner, John, Wilder,
Cordis D.

Mr. Wilder Harris was formerly a resident,
engaged in farming and the manufacture of
lumber, of Chesterfield, N. H. ; in 1865 he re-
moved to Brattleborough,Vt.,where he now lives.
Although now, (April, 1885) nearly eighty-eight
years old, Mr. Harris carries his years with all the
activity and grace of a much younger man — the
result of his vigorous constitution, busy life and
temperate habits. He has always been warmly
interested in religious matters, and is a liberal
contributor to the support of the Methodist
Church. His children are George Francis, born
March 7, 1818 ; Broughton Davis, born Au-
gust 16, 1822 ; and Gordis Day.

Gordis Day Harris, third child of Wilder
and Harriet (Davis) Harris, was born in
Chesterfield, N. H., October 29, 1824. His edu-
cation was received at the common schools and
academy of Chesterfield, in which town he
learned the trade of carpenter. Believing a
larger place would give more remuneration for
his labor, he removed to Fitchburg, Mass., in
1845, where he established a home, marrying,
October 29, 1848, Eunice B., daughter of Ziba
and Nancy (Babbitt) Albee, also of Chesterfield,
and resided there for nineteen years. He first
carried on carpentering and building for several
years with success. He began his long and ex-
tensive connection with railroad contracting in
1851, by taking a contract to build depots and
turn-tables on the St. Lawrence and Atlantic
Railroad ; and, by steady and rapid advances, he
was soon holding contracts involving large
amounts to build railroads. He was of strong
physique, active, resolute and accomplished
much labor. He always has had a pleasant
frankness of manner, which won many friends.
This had a happy influence in his business re-
lations, which were highly satisfactory. In May,
1864, accompanied by his wife, he went to Cali-
fornia, where he became a resident, and, with his
accustomed activity, was soon connected with
important business interests. He remained on
the Pacific slope until October, 1872, passing
most of that period east of the Sierras, pros-
pecting and mining in the various States and
Territories of California, Nevada, Idaho and
Utah. His energy, pluck and perseverance were
handsomely rewarded. July 4, 1870, he dis-
covered in the Pilot Knob range of mountains,
in the extreme west part of Utah, the valuable
Tecoma mines, rich in carbonate of silver and
lead. These were worked from the time of
discovery until September, 1872, when they
were sold to Messrs. Howland & Aspinwall, of
New York.

Returning to New Hampshire, Mr. Harris
made his home first in Chesterfield, and since
1873 in Keene, in close proximity to the scenes
of his boyhood, where he has since resided.

Although in possession of an ample compe-
tency, Mr. Harris is of too active a tempera-
ment to withdraw from business life. He is a

110

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

member of the firm of Harris Brothers & Co.,
general contractors for the construction of rail-
roads, public works and other operations of
magnitude ; and, in company with his brother,
Broughton D., he is now largely engaged in
operating the famous Peach Orchard coal-mines.
Peach Orchard, at Lowance County, Ivy., which
they purchased January 1, 1884. The daily
output of the mines is at present four hundred
tons. This amount they are proposing to soon
raise to eight hundred or a thousand tons per
day.

Mr. Harris has been a pronounced Whig and
Republican, casting his first vote for President
in 1848 for General Taylor. He represented
Chesterfield in the State Legislature of 1873,
and Keene in that of 1881. He is a Unitarian
in religious belief, and a member of Lodge of the
Temple, F. and A. M., of Keene. Possessed of a
powerful will, untiring energy and industry,
and endowed with a high order of business talent,
he has overcome all obstacles that confronted
him. With his strong physique and resolute
nature, he has been a man of one purpose — his
business. Generous, kind-hearted, public spirit-
ed, energetic and wide-awake, Mr. Harris is a
good representative of the clear-headed, ambi-
tious, successful business men of Cheshire
County.

DANIEL H. HOLBROOK.

It is probable that no other name is so inti-
mately connected with the introduction of

water into Keene and the construction and care
of the water-works, in the mind of the public,
as Daniel H. Holbrook, and it seems appropri-
ate to give a space in this record to his life.

Daniel H. Holbrook (7), son of John and
Mercy (Hill) Holbrook, was born in Swanzey,
X. II., January 8, 1800, and is consequently
seventy-nine years old. He comes of an old
Massachusetts family, dating in American resi-
dence to the early days of the colony, and going
back through centuries of honorable and dis-
tinguished existence in England, where the
family is entitled to bear arms. The first
American emigrants of the name, and the pro-
genitors of the greater number bearing the

name to-day, were John and Thomas, brothers,
who settled in Weymouth, Mass., in 1640.
According to the best authorities attainable the
following is the line to Daniel H. : John (1),
was a man of consideration, had quite a family,
and a son, John (2), who became a resident in
Weymouth. His son, John (3), settled in Ux-
bridge, where he was a man of public note, and
entrusted with various offices. John (4) mar-
ried, in 1732, a native of Mendon. John Hol-
brook (6) was born in Uxbridge, Mass., in 1778,
and was the son of John Holbrook (5), a farmer
in the fertile valley of the Blackstone River.
This farmer, John (5), married Rhoda Thay-
er, of Mendon, a daughter of a promi-
nent, numerous and honorable family of New
England, and emigrated about the year 1800 to
Swanzey, N. H., where he passed the remainder
of his life. John (0) had a decidedly mechani-
cal turn of mind and learned the trades of car-
penter, joiner and wheelwright. In 1790 he
enlisted as a soldier for nine months in the so-
called French and Spanish War, to repel inva-
sion. He married, in Mendon, Mass., Mercy,
daughter of Daniel and Mercy (Howard) Hill.
He was a skilled mechanic!, and, after working
at his trade for two years, he also removed to
Swanzey, settling iu the south part of the town,
where, in process of time, he purchased land
for a home, and erected buildings thereon. He
lived to be about sixty, — dying May 7, 1838.
Although a strong adherent to Jeffcrsonian De-
mocracy, he was not an active politician, but
was much interested in military matters, and
was influential in forming a company of men,
who, like himself, were exempt from military
service. In this company he held a lieutenant's
commission, and was noted as a disciplinarian.
His children who became adults were Rhoda,
married Nathan Cheney, resided in Boston,
where she died, leaving one child, Ellen ; Dan-
iel Hill; Abida, married Hiram Bolles, lived
and died in Baraboo, Wis. ; Sophia, married
< arlostine Blake, and now live- in ICeene (her
two children, John II. and Nathan C, died
when young men); Susan A., married Randall
Bolles, lived and died in Swanzey (her chil-
dren were Hiram H., M. Maria (Mrs. Angell),
Abida A. (Mrs. Abijah Holbrook), Ellen E.

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KEENE.

Ill

(Mrs. Frederick Farr) ; Chloe, married James
Pierce, lives in Sharpsville, Pa. (has children,
Jonas J., Walter and Wallace (twins), Franklin,
James B.); John ; Mercy H., married Ebenezer
Flanders, of Hopkinton, Mass., and now lives
in Henniker (Mrs. Mercy Holbrook was born
July 1, 1800, and died in December, 1876).

Daniel Hill Holbrook was named from his
maternal grandfather, Daniel Hill, a worthy
farmer of Mendon, Mass., — a man of strong
physique and of strong mental qualities. He
fought valiantly in the Continental army of the
Revolution, and, at a hale old age, was gathered
to his fathers, honored and mourned by all.

Daniel Holbrook, until he was sixteen, was
given such educational advantages as were af-
forded by the old-time district schools, and was
especially apt and ready in mathematics, ac-
quiring such skill in mental calculations as to
surprise even now many expert accountants.
He labored with his father until 1825, both as
a carpenter and farmer, when he went to Bos-
ton, and was a witness to the imposing ceremo-
nies attending the laying of the corner-stone of
Bunker Hill monument. He remained in Bos-
ton a year or two, then returned to Swanzey,
and commenced that life of hard work which,
united with good judgment and skill, during
the course of years, built up not only financial
prosperity, but also a character for integrity,
ability and sterling common-sense. He became
a farmer and also manufactured lumber, which
latter business acquired, in time, large propor-
tions.

He purchased, in 1832, the mills known
as Holbrook's Mills, which he rebuilt in 1845.
He became, in connection with manufacturing,
an extensive dealer in lumber, purchasing the
product of other mills, filling many contracts
with railroad corporations, sending many rafts
down the Connecticut, and shipping largely to
Keene, Brattleborough and other places.

In 1865, his diligence and attention to business
having met a satisfactory return, he sold his
mill and removed to Keene, where he has since
resided. He married, September 5, 1837, Caro-
line, daughter of Josiah and Sophia (Lawrence)
Prime. She died December 5, 1880. Their
children were Ellen S. (died young), Chloe P.,

John J. (sec biography) and Frances V. (Mrs.
D. M. Nichols).

Since his residence in Keene, Mr. Holbrook
has been most active in his connection with the
water- works. In 1868 he was one of a commis-
sion of five elected by the town to introduce
water into the city, — build necessary dams,
reservoirs, etc. The greater part of the super-
intendence of this work fell upon Mr. Holbrook,
and from that time to the present he has been
prominently connected with it. He has been
superintendent and commissioner, and in 1872
he successfully conducted the water under the
Ashuelot River, and introduced the water on
the north side. His wise judgment, practical
experience and mechanical skill have been of
great benefit to the city in this branch of public
service. He consented to serve as assessor and
supervisor of Swanzey in 1849, but could not
spare time from his business to accept other
proffered offices. He was a Jeffersonian in pol-
itics until 1872, supporting the Democratic
nominations. Since then he has acted indepen-
dently of party.

With a strong mind and well-preserved phy-
sical powers, Mr. Holbrook is passing the closing
years of his life, cheered by the affection of lov-
ing daughters, and blessed with the esteem of a
large range of acquaintance, who prize him for
his sterling worth.

JOHN JOSIAH HOLBEOOK, A.M.

John Josiah Holbrook, only son of Daniel
H. and Caroline (Prime) Holbrook, was born
in Swanzey, N. H., December 10, 1844. He
received an academic education, showing the
true qualities of a successful student, at the sem-
inaries of his native town and Townshend, Vt.,
and at the High School of Keene. He prepared
for college at New London, N. H., and entered
Brown LTniversity, from which he was gradu-
ated in 1872, and where, as expressed by one of
his university professors, " he distinguished
himself above all others by his taste and aptitude
for experimental science," and was an enthusi-
astic and earnest worker. After graduation,
with deep religious consecration, he pursued the
three years' course of study at Newton (Mass.)

112

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Theological Seminary, completing his studies
there in 1875. He had a special fitness, however,
as a teacher of mathematics and natural sciences,
and deeming that he could do efficient service
in that sphere, and follow a useful path of
religious duty in that direction, he became the
professor of natural sciences and mathematics at
New London Academy. He showed great

ability as an instructor, and, after two years'
time, Jie removed to Keene, now his father's
home. From 1879 until the time of his death,
which occurred in Keene, March 24, 1884, he
followed the profession of civil engineering and
surveying.

Mr. Holbrook was a ready writer, and did
much valuable work for the press during a pe-
ri* id of several years, and was frequently called
to preach. His sermons were carefully consid-
ered and showed a deep religious spirit, which
was the foundation of his character. He was
favorably known in Keene and in the commu-
nity as a successful business man of Christian
integrity. He took an active interest in public
affairs, and in his business was brought into a
pleasant relationship with many citizens of this
county, both in public and private matters. He
was a devoted and beloved teacher in the Sab-
bath-school of the Baptist Church, of which he
had been a valued member and earnest worker
for eighteen years.

There was never anything in Mr. Holbrook's
life for his friends to regret, and there was much
for them to bear in loving remembrance. He
was exceptionally happy in his friends and asso-
ciates, and signally so in the dear home circle,
where his aged father and sisters now mourn
his " going before."

The following extract from a letter written by
the Rev. J. L Seward, now a Unitarian clergy-
man of Lowell, voices the sentiment of a large
circle < >f* sorrowing friends, "who knew him but
to love him : "

"I cannot forbear a word of sympathy and
an expression of esteem for one whom I so
greatly respected. His fine presence, scholarly
mind and gentlemanly deportment were all cal-
culated to attract friends and call forth their
respect and approbation. From my first ac-
quaintance with him our relations were cordial

and agreeable. I valued his friendship and
appreciated his worth. He was one of those
noble men whose enjoyment is in the attainment
of truth and knowledge ; whose friends are
not only their kins-people and acquaintances,
but the great laws and truths which God has
given for our study and contemplation in the
great book of nature. I sympathized with his
love for mathematics and natural science, and I
respected his modesty, his manliness, his love of
study and his devotion to duty."

ALGERNON SIDNEY CARPENTER, M.D.

Algernon Sidney Carpenter, M.D., after a long
professional life, most of which was passed in
Keene, died March 4, 1885. He was son of
Dr. E. and Judith (Greene) Carpenter, and
was born in Alstead, N. H., October 16, 1814.
He descended from a somewhat noted medical
family, his father having been an able and suc-
cuccessful physician ; and several uncles and
other relatives were celebrated for their profes-
sional skill. After an academic course he read
medicine with his father, and then entered the
medical college at Middlebury, "Vt., graduating
about 1837. He practiced his profession a
short time in Gardner and Northfield, Mass.,
and then settled in Keene. In 1859, Novem-
ber 30th, he married Jane F., daughter of Hon.
Henry and Calista (Pond) Coolidge. They
had two daughters, — Mary Algeruiene and
Caroline Sidney.

Apart from his professional duties, Dr. Car-
penter felt a deep interest in all that pertained
to the welfare of Keene, and was a prominent
factor in social circles. He possessed rare con-
versational powers, expressing his thoughts with
well-balanced and discerning intellect and ready
wit. Few surpassed him in repartee, and his
satire was keen and cutting. He took a great
interest in, and gave much of his time to, Free-
Masonry. In 1855, the Social Friends Lodge
of that order having been for some time do r-
niaiit, he caused its revival, and at that time was
the only Yree Mason in town who knew the
work. He was Master of the lodge in 185<>,
1857 and 1859. He was a charter member
and first Master of the Lodge of the Temple.

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KEENE.

113

He was a member of Cheshire Royal Arch Chap-
ter, St. John's Council of Royal and Select
Masters, and Hugh de Payens Commandery of
Knights Templar.

In politics Dr. Carpenter was a constitu-
tional Democrat ; he held to the doctrines of
Thomas Jefferson, and wished to preserve the
integrity of those principles which he consid-
ered the guiding stars of the republic, and be-
lieved in and earnestly advocated the success of
the Democratic party as the only way to consum-
mate the perpetuity of our national existence.

But it is not as a citizen or politician that Dr.
Carpenter demands our chief attention, but as
the kind-hearted, successful physician. In his
profession he occupied a foremost rank. He
was a scholarly man, of quick perceptions, who
made the case of his patients his own, and his
success was due to his firmness, self-reliance,
excellent judgment and discretion. He gained
the confidence, esteem and regard of his pa-
tients, and they believed in him thoroughly and
completely. In those grave and desperate
cases where life and death were struggling for
the mastery, he was watchful and vigilant, skill-
ful to meet any emergency or change, with the
best remedial agencies. Although habitually
cautious, he did not shrink from the responsi-
bilities of his calling, and used the most heroic
treatment if he deemed the case demanded it.
Quackery, in all its forms, he most heartily de-
spised.

Like most men of positive nature, strong
will and generous impulses, he made many de-
voted friends and some bitter enemies. He was,
for years, a landmark in this city, kind and
charitable to the poor, genial and pleasant in
his home and society, courteous in his inter-
course with his medical brethren, and in many
ways was one of the strong representative pro-
fessional men of Cheshire County.

EDWARD GUSTINE.

Edward Gustine was born in the town of
Winchester September 2, 1819, the past twenty
years of his life having been spent in Keene,

where he now resides. His father, Edward
Gustine, was a merchant. He received a com-
mon-school education, learned the business of
a machinist and has been mainly engaged since
entering active life as a gas and water engineer.
He has had contracts for extensive works, both
gas and water, at different places in this State,
Massachusetts, Vermont and New York, all of
which have been carried out in a thorough and
satisfactory manner.

A decided Republican, though never an active
politician, Mr. Gustine has not been largely in
public life, but served as a member of the House
in 1865 and again in 1875 and 1876, acting as
chairman of the committee on State Prison the
latter year, and was also a member of the Con-
stitutional Convention. He subsequently repre-
sented this district in the State Senate. He en-
joys the full confidence of his fellow-citizens re-
gardless of party, and whenever a candidate for
office, receives many votes of those opposed to
him upon political questions. In the Senate he
served upon the committee on incorporations,
banks and manufactures, being chairman of the
latter. He frequently participated in debates,
and, although making no pretensions to oratory,
his suggestions, practical in their character, were
not without influence.

Mr. Gustine married Miss Sarah H. Worces-
ter, of Lebanon, Me., by whom he has two
children, — a son and daughter. The son, Ed-
ward W. Gustine, is engaged in mercantile bus-
iness in Keene. In religion he is a Unitarian
and an active member of the society in Keene.
He has long been prominent in the Masonic or-
ganizations, local and State, having been Master
of both lodges and High Priest of the chapter at
Keene, and was Grand High Priest for New-
Hampshire in 1870 and 1871, and has held va-
rious other honorable positions in Masonic bodies.
Thoroughly public-spirited and a friend of all
progressive enterprises, he has contributed in no
small degree to the prosperity of the flourishing
city in which he resides.

DR. TWITCHELL.
(See Appendix.)

HISTORY OF ALSTEAD.

CHAPTER J.

This town lies in the northern part of the
county, and is bounded as follows : North, by
Sullivan county ; east, by Marlow ; south, by
Gilsum and Surry ; and west, by Walpole.

The town was first granted by Governor B.
Wentworth to John Towle and sixty-three
others, by the name of Newton, December 28,
1752 ; about the same time the first grant was
made of Acworth, and probably for the same
reason, as I believe no attempt was made to
settle the town under this grant.

It was re-granted, August 6, 1763, to Samuel
Chase and sixty-nine others, by the name of
Alstead, and settlements commenced soon after.
In 1771 there were twenty-five or more fami-
lies in town ; but some of the provisions of the
charter not having been fulfilled, it was
" extended" by Governor John "Wentworth,
January 25, 1772, in answer to a petition from
the inhabitants.

The Governor's reservation of five hundred
acres was located in the northwest corner.

Among the prominent men prior to 1800
were General Amos Shepard, Nathaniel Sartell
Prentice, Absalom Kingsbury and Rev. Levi
Lankton. Captain Jason Wait commanded a
company in Col. Bedell's regiment in the Rev-
olution.

Petition for a Grant of the Towx-nir, 1750.

"To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq.
Captn General & Governour in Chief in and over His
Majestyes Province of New Hampshire.

"The Humble Petition of us the subscribers for
ourselves and our associate- In in Lr in number Fifty one
114

Humbly Sheweth that your Petitioners are desireous
of Setleing a Township in some of the unappropriated
Lands in said province.

" Wherefore your Petitioners Humbly Pray that
your Excellency will be pleased to grant to your Pe-
titioners a Township of the Contence of Six Miles
Square in some of his Majestyes Land, in said Prov-
ince of New Hampshire that are not allready appro-
priated, Subjected to such orders and restrictions as
Your Excellency in Your Great Wisdom Shall See
Meete. And as in Duty bound they will ever pray
&c.

" Boston Sepr 10, 1750.

" Josiah Con vers
John Fullton
David Whiteing
Thos. Draper
William Fild
Samuel Winship
Samuel Smith
John Botherick
David Comee
Jonathan Briant
Nathan Newhall
Francis Whitemore
Ebenezer Frances
William Whitemore
Abiel Richardson
Ebenezer Shattuck
Unite Moseley
AVill"' Maxwell
Sam1 Servise
Bcnja Furness
William Crombic
Nath1 Wales
Joseph Scott
Ebenezer Field

" John Fowle
" Seth Blogget

Archd M°Neill
Robert Hill
Jason Winship
Joseph Newhall
Jacob March
Thos Bennett
John Bishop
James Pierce
John Skinner
Jona Bradish
Benja Bellknap
R. Cotton
John Hill
Isaac Kidder
Wm Dunlap
Caleb Brooks
John Martin
Noah Richardson
John Douglass
Fran8 Shaw
Will"1 Fisher
Tim" Winship
Th° Lambert
Isaac Fillebrown "

The grant was made December 28, 1752, to
the foregoing persons and several others, but I

ALSTEAD.

115

think no settlements were made under it, and
none of these appear in the grant of 1763.

Statement of Grievances, 1777.

" The Inhabitants of the Town of Alstead in Town
meeting assembled Feb. 4, 1777 to consider of matters
of grievance to themselves and others to lay before
the Honbl Committee of the Council and House of the
State of New Hampshire : Do mention the following
articles as grievous to them and needing redress. —
That the present assembly was not called according
to the direction of the Honble Continental congress by a
full and free representation thro, the State: for a
number of Delegates from a part of the Towns of the
State did without any previous notice, and before the
advice of the Continental congress came to hand did
set up a plan of representation, in our opinion, partial
and defective, curtailing and abridging the privileges
of many of the Towns in this part of the state, as the
natural right of one Town is equal to that of another.

" Further the present assembly in our opinion is
not set up as the great Lawgiver and Author of Gov-
ernment requires: His order is that Rulers be fearers
of Him, haters of covetousness : whereas the present
plan requires no religious or moral, but only pecuni-
ary qualifications for posts of office, which serves to
discourage virtue and to promote vice as conjoined
with wealth: The method of choosing Councillors and
Representatives has a tendency this way likewise, as
by just implication every person paying rates man,
woman or child, however immoral and wicked, may
vote in the choice of members of the assembly, by
which means if the majority are evil, as like approves
of its like, the vile will bear rule over a state profess-
ing true religion. The present plan of Government
was set up while we were under the King of Britain,
but now we are independent of him, and therefore a
new form of Government ought as soon as may be to
be erected, by a full and equal representation of every
incorporated Town thro the State, and that the plan
of the same be sent to each Town for their approba-
tion, and that which the majority agree to, be con-
sidered as the constitution of this State. The act
past Septembr 19 1776, we view as unintelligible, and
by no means calculated to answer the end pretended
of having an equal representation. The last assembly
did not act a disinterested party or for the good of the
State, in confining all places of trust as much as they
could among themselves : or in rejecting Coll Hunt
from being High Sheriff of this county, after his ap-
pointment, even before he refused to accept, which,
with the putting in of Coll Hale we suspect was done
by the influence of a certain well known member in
these parts.

" Lastly the giving commissions for war, is another
article of grievance, which is a thing unprecedented
in any free state, and sd commissions are kept from
the eye of the people, and they are unacquainted with
the unlimited powers given officers thereby, we have
expressed these matters in a way to be understood,
and hope that they will be attended to by your
Honors as their importance and the Public good re-
quires.

"At ye aforesaid meeting was chosen Absalom
Kingsbury & Jonathan Shepherd Jur. a committee
for sd Alstead to present ye above to ye Honble Com-
mittee.

"Test Absalom Kingsbery Town Clerk

"The foregoing is a True Copy of ye voate of the
Town of Alstead as Matters of Grieveances to be laid
before yr Honr Committee from ye Honr Assembly of
ye State of New Hampshire

" Test Absalom Kingsbery, Town Clerk
"The Committees of Mario Surry & Westmoreland
concur with ye within matter of Agreevencis."

Petition of Prudence, the Wife of Simon
Baxter.

" To the Honble Counsel and assembly for the State
of New Hampshire — the humble petition of Prudence
Baxter of Alstead in the County of Chesire humbly
shews and gives your Honours to be informed that
your petitioner dos not send this prayer to your hon-
ours for riches nor honours — but for mercy and I may
say forfited mercy might be extended to Simon Bax-
ter the husband of your petitioner — who did in July
1777 go over to the enemy — but has ever sence the
day he joined them been sorry for his fault — and has
Repented his Erro with a flood of Tears — I dont mean
to trouble your patiences with any thing but the
Truth, and Capt Holmns of Walpole and Capt Gil-
bert of Littleton Can and will if Called upon Testify
that the sd Baxter has for a Long Time past ben a
friend to am erica and Capt Wait of this Town who is
now in the army and has ben a prisoner with the
enemy Can Testify the kindness ye sd Baxter shew to
the prisoners of the united states and ever sence has
had a Desire to Return and sware aligence to the
united states and is now Detained in a flag in Boston
harbour — and their does earnestly pray for mercy
— and as their is none that is guilty has Less
then he so none a fairer plea for pardon — o spair him
I humbly pray — I ask not for his Estate — only for his
Life under such Limitation as you in your wisdom
shall see proper to alow — the sd Baxter did while hear
do his part in the war as my familey has sense with-
out complaining — suffer him I humbly pray to be
once more a subject of this state and have the Liberty

116

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

of the oath of aligence to the united states — I Cair not
how we Live or how we are fed, if he can but have
authoritive Liberty to Live in this state, the small
[property] that we did possess shall with pleasure go
only spair him — and as mercy is the Dealing of god
and the Brightest Virtue of the human mind — o Let
Baxter be one subject of your mercy — the glory of a
merciful Deed is in proportion to the Crime for which
the Deed of mercy was Extended.

" The arms of america has spread Terrow thro the
world — o that their mercy might not be Confined or
Limeted — I do, in my husbands name, Lay myself
and him att the foot stool of this state for mercy, and
if we must perish we must perish there — as in duty
bound shall ever pray

"Alstead, December ye 14th, 1778.

" Prudence Baxter."

Capt. Lemuel Holmes, of Surry, and Capt.
Jason Wait, of Alstead, the men referred to in
the foregoing, were prisoners of war in New
York when Simon Baxter and his son William
were with the enemy, and, being old neighbors,
probably received favors from them.

Simon Baxter's property was declared con-
fiscated to the State ; and Isaac Temple, Timothy
Fletcher and Absalom Kingsbury were ap-
pointed commissioners on the same, with the
latter as trustee, who made an inventory of his
estate, which includes the following: "Apart
of the 5th Lot in the eighth Range, about 100
Acres, and one half of Lot N° 17 in the North
Range of Lots in Alstead, and two acres in the
Citidale [?] Lots — one Dwelling House in the
Eighway." Mrs. Baxter petitioned, May 13,
1 778, with the " approbation of Abram Brown,
Math1 S. Prentice selectmen of Alstead," stat-
ing that she had a large family of children,
some of whom were small, and asked that the
forfeiture of the estate might not be exacted.

It seems that Simon Baxter left the flag;-
ship in some way, as he and Benjamin Baxter
were taken from Alstead to Exeter about
January 21, 1779, and delivered to the Com-
mittee of Safety by Absalom Kingsbury, and
was there confined in jail for some time.

Confession of William Baxter.
" I left home 28th of March 1778 & went to Cam-
1 nidge there I found my father and he was to be ex-

changed and said I must go with him I told him I
Did not Love to Leave my mother he said I had
better go with him & I finally concluded to go with
him to Rhode Island which I Did when I got to
Rhode Island I worked with one . . . seaven or
Eight Days my father Did not Do any Business that
I know of then he and I went to N York and had the
Small pox together and was in N. York about A
month then he told me I must go to Long Island and
look out for myself and Dr. Pomroy [Doctor Josiah
Pomeroy was an ' absentee ' from Keene] would get
me a place to live at and I went to Long Island with
Dr. Pomroy and left my father at N York and I Lived
with one Abraham BrinkrofF about a week and then
my father come to me and told me he Intended to
Return to Cambridge for they Meaning the Regulars
would not exchange him unless he would go into
their servis & he said he would not Do that — he had
Drawn Rations till then and because he would not go
into the Regular Servis they stopt his Rations then
he worked in the same house with me till we went on
board the Carteal that lay at newtown and went to
N York before we went from Newtown my father &
Dr Pomroy went Somewhere and then my father Gave
me five hundred £ N York Currency and told me he
had it of Dr Pomroy for which he told me he gave
Dr Pomroy a note for twenty Pounds in hard money
and my father told me to put it where the people of
the house could not find it and said when we got back-
to Cambridge we could live well I told him we should
be found out he was very angry with me & said he
brought me to be a help to him but instead of that I
was nothing but a plague and said he wished I was at
home again — then we went to York and while we
were waiting for the flag to come of I went to work to
help Lode the Vesel and my father went Back to Dr.
Pomroy at Newtown and when he came back he
brought about A thousand Dollars More as near as I
Can Remember and told me to hide it and said he
was to have some more as soon as it was struck of and
Signed — the Next Day he went of again and brought
so much as with what he told me to hide the Day be-
fore Made up A thousand pounds that I saw but how
much more I Dont Know then he had some hard
money and with that bought Cloathing to send by me
to his tamely — while we lay at N York one evening
Benj" whiting Sam1 Tarbull Will Stark Robt L.

Fowle Blair two Cummins lien j" Trow my hither

and myself ware togather at Jn° Strouts in New York
and I see Benj" Whiting have one thousand Dollars
in forty Dollar bills and offered my father if he would
take the Money and put it of att Cambridge or any-
where in ye Country he would give him five hundred
Dollars of it which my father took but told me he Re-

ALSTEAP.

117

turned it Back then the said Benjamin Whiting Said
if he could not get any Body to fetch it Meaning the
money he would fetch it himself for all the DdBebels
would be overcome before Next year was out — the
next Day we Sailed for Boston and after we had got
to Boston I told my father I would not go back he
said he believed I had as good go home and told me
to take the Cloathing with me and carry it home to
Mother and he counted some money to me vis ten
forty Dollar Bills & Seaventeen twenty D° and about
Ninety five Dollars in good Money and told me to be
carefull I said I was afraid it would hurt me he said
the money would do him no good and if I was like to
be hurt by it I might burn it — and then I set of for
Cambridge and went to Joseph Welcbes and he was
going to Boston and said he wanted some paper
money and Asked me if I had any that I could spare
I told him yes and I gave him fifty six Dollars for a
Joannes and he went to Boston and came and told
ine he had got a hors for me and a boy to Carry me
to Littleton for twenty dollars and said if I would
give him twenty more he would find another hors for
my baggage and said he had some more hard money
& if I would change fifty paper Dollars he would let
me have another Joannes which I Did and if I would
give him fifty six Dollars he would let me have two
Guinnes which I Did I saw a hessian in Cambridge
and changed fifty Paper Dollars for two Guinnes then
I left Cambridge and went to Littleton and Cap' Gil-
bert & I went to boston to Get my father out of the
nag but Gen1 Heath would not Permit him to come
out & there I bought 3 yd8 of Salloon & 3 yds of Lace
& Exchanged 3 twenty Dollar bills then I returned
to Cambridge and there I Met a Negro fellow with a
watch and I gave him four twenty Dollar bills and 2
Eight Dollar bills & one four Dollar bill for ye watch
then I returned to Littleton & from there to Keen
and got to Beujn Halls and his Son Annanias asked
me if I had got any Catchett meaning counterfit
money I told him yes he Looked on it and told me he
would put it of for me & Beturn me two thirds of it
in good money which I consented to Do after that
Zibia Hall his Brother asked me if I bad any Cat-
chett I told him I had not for Anna' had got it he
said he was the wrong Person to give it too for he
would be to Ventersome I saw Anny after that he
told me that Zibia wanted it for he had put of A large
Some of it which if I mistake not was four Hundred
Dollars & that 30 Dollars was returned Back which
he could not put of So I went home and was Imme-
diately taken up and then I sent my Brother Joseph
to Anna hall for the money I left with him and he
brought 7 forty Dol Bills & 1 twenty Do & 1 good Do
& Keep1 two I had Left ten forty Dollar Bills with

him & one twenty — My Brother Joseph & I hid the
money he brought from Annas Hall in the barn
Namely 7 forty Dollar bills & 1 twenty Do all the
Money I mentioned in the foregoing Account that I
have not Called good I suppose was Counterfit — while
I was at Cambridge at Joseph Welches Welch In-
quired of me About the Monmouth Battle & about
ye Brittish troops I told him they Suffered a Good
Deal he said the Rebels had it in there papers that
they ware beat but he Did not Believe it and said he
wished to God that he was at New York with his
famely and Enquired if there was any Houses to be
Let I told him yes but they ware very Dear he Re-
peated he Wished he was there Dear as they was —
while I was in New-York I saw one Timothy Lovell
of Rockingham and one Hubbard of Windsor in ye
State of Vermont two Refugees and they have both
stole out since and I saw Lovell in Littleton and he
told me not to Mention to any Body that he was out
of New York for it might hurt him and would not
Do me any Good and he enquired where Maj1" Joseph
Blanchard Lived & said he was going there to Holies
but nobody suspected that Hubbard had been to N
York that I know of and he now Lives peaceably at
home as I have heard I Likewise saw one Joseph
Durfey of New London in ye State of Connecticut in
New York He said he Did not know what the Reb-
ells would Do to him when he came out nor Did not
care a Dd t — d.

"the foregoing Relation is to the Best of my Re-
membrance the truth the whole truth and Nothing
but the truth which I can attest before the Almighty
God.

" January 8th 1779.

" William Baxter.

"N.B. Said Baxter confessed that his brother
Joseph told him that annanias Hall told him he put
off a 40 Dollar bill to one Hall a sadler in Keen, in
the following way the Sadler gave a good 40 Dollar
Bill to said annanias to change into small Bills — and
anns said after taking the good Bill & could not
change it, and then gave him a Counterfeit in Lieu."

William Baxter was arrested by Joel Chaud-
ler, constable, on a warrant from Nathaniel S.
Prentice, taken before said Prentice, November
11, 1778, examined and sent to the General
Assembly. At the examination before " Squire
Prentice," Captain Lemuel Holmes testified as
follows :

"I Lemuel Holmes of Lawful age Testify and say,
That as I was Prisoner on Longisland when William
Baxter who Left his home in Alstead came their with

118

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

his father who came from Boston to Newyork srt
William Baxter whilst he continued Their Lived with
a farmer on Longisland & Laboured for him for hier
and did not join in the Brittish servis or Draw Either
Money or Provision from them to my knowledge but
Lived in a Peacable Retired manner with a farmer
that appeared To be a friend to america : I further
say that Simon Baxter father to ye sd William De-
clared to me that he ordered his son away, and as he
found it more Difficult to support him their Than he
Inspected he thought Best for him to Return : Sd
William Baxter came to Longisland some time in
June Last Past according to my Best Rememberance
— further this Deponent saith not.
"Alstead Nov.2 ye 11, 1778.

" Lemuel Holmes."

This was sworn before Nathaniel S. Prentice.

In House of Representatives, November 18,
1778, William Baxter was ordered to be de-
livered to the sheriff, in order to be " sent back
to New York by the first conveyance." It
seems that he was not sent, however, but was
admitted to bail, the bond requiring him not
to go beyond the limits of Exeter. In May
following he had a pass to go to Alstead and
return in twenty days. In July he was granted
a permit " to pass and repass from Portsmouth
to Exeter on Business for the printers ; " and
in April, 1780, he was employed by the Com-
mittee of Safety to carry letters " to the County
of Cheshire to call the General Court together,"
for which he was paid one hundred dollars. I
think some allowance should be made for his
conduct, on account of his age and his having
been influenced by his father, although I think
his statement relative to Dr. Ziba Hall was not
true. Dr. Hall was a respectable physician in
Keene for many years.

"State of New Hampshire, Cheshire, ss.

" Alstead, Nov. 26, 1781.

" Whereas the major part of the Selectmen of Surry
refused to obey the within precept, being under oath
to the State of Vermont, and having sent the same to
the Selectmen of Alstead, the major part of whom
likewise refused to obey the same on the same account.
We the subscribers Selectmen for Alstead and Surry,
and all the Selectmen in said Towns that acknowl-
edge the jurisdiction of New Hampshire, did on the
ninth of this instant November notify all the legal

inhabitants of the towns of Surry, Alstead and Marlow
within mentioned to meet at the house of Mr. Timothy
Fletcher in Alstead on Monday the 26th day of this
instant Nov. at ten o'clock in the forenoon for the
purpose within mentioned. Who being accordingly
met made choice of Mr. Absalom Kingsbury to rep-
resent them in the General Assembly within men-
tioned.

" Timothy Fletcher, Selectman for Alstead.

" Wm Russell, Selectman for Surry.
" In Committee on Claims 1

Concord June 13, 1783. ) The Bounty paid by
Alstead to & which has been deducted from David
Abraham's account amounts to Thirteen pounds Thir-

teen shillings

"Attest Josiah Gilman T)'eas.,,

David Abraham served also for Gilsum.

Petition about Taxes.

"To the Honble the council and house of Representa-
tives for the State of New Hampshire.
"The Petition of the Town of Alstead within said
State Humbly Sheweth That considering the great
Scarcity of a medium of currency we feel the greatest
impractibility of Discharging our Legal Taxes to the
State to which we belong by cash. And as there is a
number of Soldiers from amongst us that have Serv11
in the continental Service and a great part of there
wages is yet due — the greater part of whom are Nesces-
etated for present Relief and the produce of our
Husbandry would be that that would grant them Re-
lief perhaps as well as the cash — the former of which
is in our Power to Relieve them with when the Latter
is utterly out of our Power to Supply with at present
— Therefore your Petitioners pray that they may be
directed in a mode that your honours in your great
wisdom Shall point to pay our Quotas of Taxes in
arrears Imediately to the Soldier for the reasons above
mentioned and your petitioners as in Duty bound
Shall Ever pray.

" Amos Shepherd ] Selectmen of
"Nathan Fay Alstead

"John Wood in behalf and

"Tim0 Fletcher J by order of the Town
" Alstead 29th Sepr 1783."

General Amos Shepherd was one of the lead-
ing men of Alstead from 1777 until his death.
He was noted for industry, economy, honesty
and fidelity, and acquired a fortune for those
days ; frequently held positions of trust in the
town; was elected State Senator in 1786, and
re-elected fourteen times; was president of that

ALSTEAD.

119

body from 1797 to 1804 ; was a member of the
Council in 1785. He died January 1, 1812.
Petition of Nathaniel Shepherd, Deer-Eeeve.

" To the Honble the council and house of Represen-
tatives for the State of New Hampshire,
" The Petition of Nath1 Shepherd of Alstead in the

county of Cheshire state aforesaid.
" Humbly Sheweth

" That whereas your petitioner was chosen by the
Town of Alstead Deer reife for the year of our Lord
One Thousand Seven hundred & Eighty and your
Petitioner in Prosecuting his trust in that office under
oath complained of one Elnathan Jenning as a person
that had Broke the Law of the State in that case
made and provided — Unto Nath1 S. Prentice &
Thomas Sparhawk Esqs Two of the Justices of sd
county as Directed in said act and your petitioner at
a Large Expense of his own pursued the steps of the
Law and made it appear to the said Justices that the
said Jennings was actually guilty of killing Deer
contrary to Law ; there Judgment accordingly was
that he should pay a fine as the Law Directs which
the one half thereof was promised by said act to the
Prosecutor which relying on the faith of the State he
Expected, but to his great Surprise one of the said
Justices Received a Special order from the President
of sd State forbiding him in any way or manner to
Demand the Said fine of the said Jennings whereby
he was and hath been ever since kept out of his Right
as promised in sd act with an additional cost of his
own Now your Petitioner prays that the aforesaid
order maybe Revoked or that your Petitioner maybe
Releived in some other way which your Honrs in your
great wisdom shall think proper which your Petiti.
oner Supposeth he hath an undoubted Right to Ex-
pect. And your Petitioner as in Duty bound will

Ever pray.

"Nathaniel Shepherd.

" Alstead 23d Octr 1783."

The said Jennings proved that he was in the
Continental army three and one-half years, was
driven from Long Island by the British on
account of his loyalty, came to this State in July,
1779, did not know anything about the law,
and was poor and needed the meat for the sub-
sistence of his family. For these reasons Presi-
dent Weare issued a special order to stay pro-
ceedings.

" State of New Hampshire } To the Honbl° general
Cheshire ss. i Assembly.

" the petition of the inhabitants of the town of Al-

stead in the County of Cheshire humbly sheweth that
whereas there was in the year 1780 a Large sum of
Continental Money Due from this Town to the state
aforesaid — but for several Reasons (which would be
irksome to us, as well as Disagreeable to your Honors,
to mention at this Time we pass them) the aforesaid
money was not paid into the Treasury in season as it
ought to have been — but not out of any ill intention
in us, in regard to the money, or in any manner to
Defraud, or keep Back, what was really due from us,
to the said state, the truth of which will appear, by
reciting one or two paragrafts in one of our Town
Meetings about that time.

" the 1st is this — that this Town will make a settle-
ment with New Hampshire respecting all Debts that
we have been with them in contracting

" the second — Voted to chuse a Committee of three
men to receive accounts from soldiers — (Viz) those that
served the last campaign (meaning under the Author-
ity of New Hampshire) as three months men, and six
months men, and to take the said soldiers Receipts
for the same money so paid, this last, as far as the
money amounted, was to answer the first, and from
which we humbly conceive, your honors will be Led
to see, that the people in this Town have not been so
opposed to the Laws and orders of the general As-
sembly, as has been represented, and that the people
have been, was then, and Now are, willing to pay
there full Quotas of money to Defray the public
charge — for in that great hurry, and heat of the people
those two votes before Recited ware obtained— Your
Honours are as sensable of the Extreem scarcity of
money thro the state as we can be, and if the Treas-
urer should be directed to call upon those two men
in whose hands the aforesaid money now remains for
so large a sum of hard money — your honours may
Easily judge the fatal consequences it would prove to
them and there fameleys.

" We your petitioners therefore in the most humble
manner prostrate our selves at the feet of the general
Assembly humbly praying that your Honours would
not in your wisdome and goodness by misrepresenta-
tion impute too much iniquity to the good people in
this Town — but make some proper allowancies for
human frailty by extending compassion to those two
men, and receive the money they had collected before
the time Expired for receiving Continental money as
has been done for other Towns in this county those
two men aforesaid (viz) Nathan Fay, and Zebulon
Crane are men of veracity who are at this time be-
trusted with public honours from New Hampshire —
and whose affidavits in all matters may be relied on —
this petition is not the prayer [of] one individual, but
the voice of the people at Large in this Town — who

120

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

with Confidence in your Clemency, and Contrishon in
our selves present this petition to your wise Consider-
ation as in Duty bound shall ever pray.

" Signed by order and in behalf of the inhabitants
of the Town of Alstead.

Alstead September 2!>'" 1783.

Amos Shepherd")

John wood I Selectmen

Tim0 Fletcher J

" AccpM & voted that the Select men Sign the Same
in behalf of ye Town

" Attest Nath1 S. Prentice Town Clerk"

In the House of Representatives, December
26, 1783, it was " Voted, That the prayer of
said petition be so far granted as to receive the
money which is now in the hands of Nathan
Fay, one of the constables, amounting to
£1530.. 18s.. 0. Continental Currency & that
the treasurer discount the same out of the taxes
called for from the Town of Alstead in the year
1780."

The Council concurred the same day.

Certificate of Selectmen about Taxes.
"These may Certify that it appears by Samuel
Kidders Tux bill for 1783— that Lot N° 5 in the Eighth
Range was Taxed in the war Tax two shillings and
tenpence and N° 4 in the Tenth Range three shillings
and nine pence to the same tax — and to the state tax
N° 5 in ye Eighth Range 3/10— and N° 4 in ye 10th
Range 5/ 2— and in ye County Tax N° 5 in ye 8th

Range 1/ all in the said Kidders Tax bills who

was constable for 1783 which said Lots belong to the
Confiscated Estate of Simon Baxter an Absentee
" £0 . . 16 . . 7.
" Alstead January 215t 1786.

" Isaac Temple

" BEx.ia Wood

" Reuben Hatch

"Joel Chandler

" Portsm0 Feby 14, 1786.

"Received an order for sixteen shillings and seven

pence.

" Amos Shephekd."

In 1789, Gideon Delano and Eli Snow killed
a wolf each in Alstead, for which they received
a State bounty.

Petition for Authority to Tax Non-Resident

Lands.

"To tin- Hon1,1' Senate and house of Representatives
of the State of New Hampshire in general Court

Selectmen

of
Alstead

Convened at Portsmouth on the 8th day of January

A. D. 1790.

" The Petition of the Selectmen of Alstead humbly
sheweth that said Town hes a Large Shair of roads
and Bridges to Support it being a Veri mountainous
town and to ad to these burdon the County have
lately laid out a Road through the Southeasterly part
of said Town through the non-residents Land about
tbree milds which is no advantage to said inhabitants
therefore your petitioners pray that the Selectmen
of said town lay a Tax of two pence per acor on all
the nonresidence Land in Said town to be Laid out
on the roads through there own Lands, or other ways
as you in your great wisdom Shall see meet.

" and we as in Duty bound shall ever pray.

!in behalf of
the Selectmen
of Alstead."

January 11, 1790, the matter was before the
House of Representatives, and a hearing ordered
for the next session.

January 21, 1791, a bill granting the author-
ity asked for was passed and concurred in by
the Senate.

Remonstrance against Setting Off a Parish.

" To his Excellency the Governor and Honblc General

Court of New Hampshire.

" We the subscribers inhabitants of the Town of
Alstead, being this day informed that a petition is
circulating in the east part of this Town to the gene-
ral Court praying to be set off as a Distinct parish ;
Now we would inform the Honble General Court, that
the situation of this Town is such that a Division
would be hurtful to the whole on many reasons that
might be given as the matter is suden and unex-
pected to us till this date, and the Notice we had
accidental and the voices of the inhabitants have not
been asked, and a day of hearing on the said petition
might be a Large bill of Cost to this Town — we pray
therefore that the petition aforesaid might not have a
hearing as in Duty bound shall ever pray.

" Alstead may 31th 1793."

" Reuben Hatch. Nath" Man.

Job Thompson, Jr. John Worst er.

Joel Chandler. Ebenezer Palmer.

Asa Hatch. Paul Robins.

Absalom Kingsbery. Josiah Crosby.

Edward Waldo. Ephraim Kingsbeiy.

Isaac Brown. Noah Vilas.

John Robbins. Moses Farnsworth.

Joshua Wood. Lemuel Barker.

ALSTEAD.

121

Josiah Robens.
William thompson.
John Burroughs.
Benja Baxter.
William Slade.
Elisha Kingsbery.
Richard Emerson.
Daniel Perin.
John Slade, Jr.
Daniel Waldo.
Elkanah Stephens.
Nath1 Rust.
David Hale.
Frederick wardner.
Isaac Cady.
Judah Hatch.
Phinehas Hatch.
Joshua Crane.
Asa Grant.
Chrs Williams.
Jonas Parke.
Mason Hatch.
John Fletcher.
Jonathan King.

Nath1 Clark.
Thos Far ns worth.
Nath1 Cooper.
Amos Shepard.
William Simons.
Abel Hebbard.
Jacob Cheever.
Sam1 Slade.
James Brown.
Nathaniel Right, Junr.
Azel Hatch.
Jacob Wardner.
Thomas Root.
Josiah Cook.
Dan1 Williams.
Joseph Cady.
Josiah Cook, Jr.
Joseph Peck.
John Ladd.
Rich1 Beckwith.
Luke Harris.
Benja Cutter.
Jesse Watts.
David Hodgman .

Michel Grant. Josiah Brooks.

James Kingsbery. Roswell Waldo.

Elias Brown. Gideon Delano."

Remonstrance of Selectmen.
" To his Excellency the Governor, the Honble senate
and house of representatives, in General Court
Assembled, may it please your honors.
" We, the Subscribers, Selectmen of the Town of
Alstead, beg Leave to inform your Honors that this
day we ware inform4 that a Petition is now Circulat-
ing in the East part of this Town praying to be set
off as a distinct Parish, or otherwise, as the General
Court may think proper. This matter has twice been
before the inhabitants of this Town and twice Reject-
ed by a Large majority, as a division of this Town at
present would be very injurious to this Town in
General, and they have not brought there petition
before the inhabitents to know their minds on the
matter. As selectmen and Guardians of the public
affairs, we pray the petition aforesaid might not have a
hearing.

"Alstead, may 31th, 1793.

" Isaac Temple, j Selectmen
" Oliver Shepard, ) of Alstead."

Petition for the Incorporation of a Re-
ligious Society.

" To the Honorable the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives for the State of New Hampshire in
General Court Assembled.

" The Petition of a number of Inhabitants of the
Town of Alstead, in said State

" Humbly Sheweth, — That whereas your Petition-
ers, being a compact Society in one part of the Town,
and some years past built them a meeting-house and
settled them a Minister, when there was no other set-
tled minister in the Town, and have ever since paid a
tax towards the support of their Society by them-
selves, without being called upon to support the
ministry any other way; but still we find ourselves
under some embarrassments, not having legal author-
ity to call on one another for the taxes so made, and
having got the approbation of the Town by their Vote
in Town-meeting — legally appointed therefor — There-
fore your Petitioners humbly pray that all those now
paying taxes, or that may hereafter choose to pay
taxes towards the support of the ministry & meeting-
house, with us may be incorporated into a Society
solely for that purpose. And your Petitioners, as in
duty bound, will pray.

" Alstead, 26th Novr., 1793.
"Nath1 S. Prentice. Larnard Mann.

Isaac Kent. John Wait.

Abel Phelps. Stephen Bridgham.

Oliver Brown. Moses Blanchard.

William Wood. Paul Gale.

Laban Johnson. Sardis Miller.

Spencer Brown. Thomas Wood.

Solomon Prentice, Jr. Elijah Holbrook.

Eli Harrington. Jona Newton.

Samuel Smith. Benja Wood.

Amaziah Wheelock. Asa Whitcomb.

Elisha Gale. Abram Brown.

Sylvester Partridge. John Brooks.

John Bryant. John Kent.

Jonathan Atherton. Jesse Fay.

John Wood. John Brimmer.

John Bridgham. Ephm Barnard.

Daniel Newell. Sartell Prentice.

Nathan Fay. Phineas Olds.

Thomas Taylor. Samuel Ball.

Jedidiah Johnson. Abel Childs.

Thomas Wait. Jonas Newton."

James Arch.

The original was signed also by Abel Dut-
ton, "William Richardson, Aristides Hucstis,
Timothy Child, Eleazer Miller.

In House of Representatives, December 31,
1793, a hearing was ordered for the second
Wednesday of the next session ; meanwhile the
petitioners were to post a copy of the petition
in some public place in the town and deliver a

122

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

copy to the town clerk, which the following
certificates show was complied with :

"Cheshire, ss. March 11th, 1794. This petition and
order of Court thereon, was delivered to me this day,
and this day I read it in open Town-meeting, in the
Town of Alstead. " Isaac Temple, T: Clerk.

" Agreeable to the order, herein contained, this Pe-
tition and order of Court has ben Posted up in the
Town of Alstead.

" Thos Taylor,

" Simon Brooks, Jr.,

" Job Thompson, Jr.,

" James Kingsbury,

Selectmen."

Vote of Town in Favor of the Incorporation
of a Religious Society.
" In a warrant, Legally executed, for calling a
Town-Meeting in the Town of Alstead, on the nine-
teeth day of Novbr, Last past, was the following arti-
cle (viz.) article 3d:

" To see if the Town will approve of the persons
paying Taxes to the Revd Levi Lankton, to be incor-
porated into a society by themselves, for the purpose
of Maintaining their minister and Meeting-house.

" In Town-Meeting, Novbr 19th, 1793, article 3d, the
Question being put wheather the inhabitants of this
Town will approve of the persons paying Taxes to the
Revd Levi Lankton, to be incorporated into a society
by themselves, for the purpose of Maintaining their
minister and Meeting-house, passed in the affirma-
tive. " A true copy of Record

"Attest — Isaac Temple, T: Clerk.
" Alstead, Decbr 20th, 1793."

" At the annual Meeting of the Inhabitants of the
town of Alstead, holden March 10th, 1795.

" Article 16th, — To see if the inhabitants aforesaid
will vote that the persons that now do or may here-
after pay Taxes to the Revd Levi Lankton may be In-
corporated into a Society for the purpose of Soporting
their Minister and Meeting-House.
" Passed in the affirmative.
" Alstead, May 13th, 1795.
" Moses Hale,
"Daniel Pekin,
" Abel Phelps,
" Jn° Brigham,
"EPHPwVIM Kingsbery,
" The above is a true copy of record.

" Attest, Daniel Perin, Town Clerk."

Selectmen of
Alstead.

The foregoing petitions, etc., resulted in the
incorporation of a society by the name of
the Second Parish in Alstead, the act passing
the House June 15, 1795, the Senate the next
day, and receiving the approval of Governor
Oilman, June 18, 1795.

Petition of Elisha Kingsbery for Loan.
"To the Honorable the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the State of New Hampshire, to be
Convened at Amherst in said State on Wednesday,
the fourth day of June, 1794.

" Humbly Sheweth your Petitioner.

" That your Petitioner did, in the year 1792, at
great Expence, build a Linceed Oil Mill, and in the
year 1793, on his own Expence, & on the same Dam
build a Paper Mill, both which mills are nearly
finished and do good business to the great advantage
and benefit of the Public in this part of the State.
That your Petitioner finds a great demand for his
Paper, not only in this, but in the Neighbouring
State of Vermont, so that not only the saving of the
importation of that valuable article in this part of the
State is made, but is also likely to bring a considera-
ble Quantity of money into this part of the State. —
That the demand for paper has increased so much that
he finds himself unable to procure Stock sufficient to
supply all his customers by reason of this great ex-
pence in Constructing his works.

" Therefore prays that your Honors would grant
him the Loan of two hundred pounds for one or two
years, upon security of the Mortgage of the Mill, to
the state that he may be enabled to carry on his
works to the better advantage of the publick and save
the importation of those articles into this part of t In-
state. And your Petitioner, as in Duty bound will
ever pray.

" Alstead, May 31st, 1794.

" Elisha Kingsbery."

The foregoing was before the Legislature
June 9, 1794, and a committee appointed to
consider the matter ; but I am unable to find any
record of their report. — (Hammond.)

HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD.

BY ORAN E. RANDALL.

CHAPTER I.

Geography and Geology. — Chesterfield
is bounded on the north by Westmoreland and
Keene, on the east by Keene and Swanzey, on
the south by Winchester and Hinsdale, on the
west by the Connecticut River, or, more strictly
speaking, by Brattleborough and Dummerston,
in Vermont. The area of the town, exclusive
of the Connecticut, which flows along its
western border for a distance of about six
miles, is probably between forty-two and forty-
four square miles. The first recorded per-
ambulation of the town lines took place in
1793, at which time the line between Chester-
field and Westmoreland was measured by
Jonas Robbins, of the latter town, and found
to have a length of " seven miles and three-
fourths and forty-four rods," its direction being
" east, 10° 13f south."

The line running from the northeast corner
of Chesterfield to the southwest corner of
Keene was described as having: a length of
one mile and sixteen rods, and a direction of
"south, 8° 30' east;" and the line running
from the southwest corner of Keene to the
northwest corner of Swanzey as having a
length of two hundred and sixty-three rods,
and a direction of " east, 8° 30' south." The
line between Chesterfield and Swanzey was
surveyed the same year by John Braley, and
was described as having a direction (starting
from the northwest corner of Swanzey) of
" south, 33|° west ; " but its length was not

stated. According to measurements made at
a later date, this line has a length of nearly
four and one-half miles.

The same surveyor also surveyed, in 1793,
the line that separates Chesterfield from Win-
chester and Hinsdale, and found it to have a
direction of " west, 10|° north," starting from
the southeast corner of Chesterfield. The
length of this line was also not stated, but it
is about seven and seven-eighths miles.

The surface of the town is, for the most part,
hilly, the meadows and plains being compara-
tively limited. At a few points on the Con-
necticut there are small meadows and plains,
some of the latter having an elevation of two
hundred feet, or more, above the river. There
are also small meadows in other parts of the
town, through which flow some of the larger
brooks.

Wantastiquet, or West River Mountain, lies
in the extreme southwest corner of Chesterfield
and northwest corner of Hinsdale. This
mountain rises abruptly from the Connecticut,
and has an altitude of about twelve hundred
feet above sea-level. From its summit, in the
days of the early settlements, the Indians are
said to have watched the operations of the
settlers in the vicinity of Fort Dummer.
Hence, the name of Indians' Great Chair has
been applied to a particular portion of the
summit of this mountain. The longer axis of
Wantastiquet is nearly parallel to the river,
and has a length of from three to four miles.

There are several hills in the town worthy of

123

124

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

mention. Mount Pistareen, near Chesterfield
Factory, has an altitude;, probably, of about
one thousand feet above the level of the sea.
Streeter Hill, in the northwestern quarter of
the town, is so called because it was at one
time inhabited by several families of the name
of Streeter. Its altitude is somewhat greater
than that of Pistareen. Atherton Hill, in the
cistern part of Chesterfield, received its name
from the eircn instance that Joseph Atherton
settled on it in 1795. There are several other
hills in the town that are higher than Streeter
Hill.

There are no large streams of water flowing
through Chesterfield, but the Connecticut flows
along its western border. Its height above
sea-level, at a point opposite Brattleborough, is
two hundred and fourteen feet.

The largest brook, flowing wholly within
the limits of the town, is Catsbane Brook.
This stream rises in the low lands south of the
( ientre village, and in the vicinity of Barrett
Hill, and flows in a northwesterly direction for
the distance of about five miles, emptying into
the Connecticut near the West village. The
name of this brook can only be accounted for
by the following tradition, which has been
handed down from the first settlers : At a very
early period in the town's history two men,
who were traveling through the forest, stopped
on the banks of the brook to eat their lunch.
Having finished their meal, one of the men
said he wished to set out again on the journey.
The other replied that he wished to take
another draught of the water of the brook
before leaving. " For your sake," said his
companion (using at the same time certain
emphatic words), "I wish this water had
catsbane in it!" He probably meant rats-
bane. In all probability, this singular name
was applied to the brook a number of years
before the settlement of the town.

Partridge Brook, in some respects the most
important stream that has its origin in the
town, is the outlet of Spaflbrd's Lake. It
takes the water of the lake from the "channel"

near Factory village, flows a short distance in
a southeasterly direction, then, turning sharply
to the northward, plunges down through a
deep gorge, and flows on, for a distance of
about two miles, to the Westmoreland line.
From the line it continues its course in a
northwesterly direction through Westmoreland,
for a distance of four miles, or more, and
empties into the Connecticut near the county
farm. It is certain that this brook was known
by its present name before Chesterfield was
settled, inasmuch as it was called Partridge
Brook, in the proprietary records of West-
moreland, as early as 1752. There are also
several other brooks in Chesterfield of lesser
importance.

Spafford's Lake lies nearly in the centre of
the northern half of the town. According to
au estimate based on the proprietors' chart, or
plan, this beautiful sheet of water has an area
of about seven hundred square acres. This
estimate may be somewhat too small ; but, from
all the information the writer can obtain
relating to this subject, it appears to him that
the area of this lake cannot exceed one thou-
sand acres. The shore of the lake is, for the
most part, either sandy or rocky ; and its water
is remarkably pure, being supplied, in great
part, by springs beneath its surface.

Pierce's Island, in the southwestern part of
the lake, contains from four to six acres.
Indian relics — principally stone pestles and
arrow-heads — have been found on it.

It is not known with certainty how the lake
came by its name of Spatford's Lake, but the
tradition has always been that a man of the
name of Spafford once lived near its shore ;
hence its name.

There are good reasons for believing that the
lake received its name before the town was
actually settled, and that the Spafford who is
said to have lived near its shore was a hunter,
whose residence was only temporary.

Catsbane Island, which lies about half a mile
below the mouth of Catsbane Brook, in the
< oimecticut, is worthy of mention. This island

CHESTERFIELD.

125

— which is in view from the lower ferry — con-
tains but a few acres, and is principally noted
as being, in all probability, near the place
where the Indians crossed the river on their
way to Canada, after having defeated Sergeant
Taylor's party in July, 1748. It is possible,
however, that the place called " Cattsbane," in
Sergeant Taylor's diary, was the mouth of
Catsbane Brook.

The rocks of Chesterfield belong principally to
that group of rocks denominated by Professor C.
H. Hitchcock the Coos Group, and consist of
quartzite, gneiss, mica slate, mica schist, horn-
blende rock and conglomerate. In the south-
eastern quarter of the town there is found, in
great abundance, a rock called porphyritic
gneiss. This rock is not found in the western
part of the town. No valuable minerals have
been found in any considerable quantities; yet,
iron ore was discovered many years ago on
Wantastiquet, and graphite, or plumbago, may
exist in some localities. The so-called mine
on Wantastiquet is in Hinsdale. Quartz is
found in considerable qualities ; in one or two
localities, in a pulverulent condition. Inferior
specimens of tourmaline have also been found.

Numerous evidences of the action of mov-
ing ice in the Glacial Period exist in the town.
In some locations the ledges are grooved and
striated in a way peculiar to those regions that
have been subjected to glacial action. Enor-
mous boulders, evidently brought from a great
distance, in some instances have been deposited
upon the highest hills.

Near the mouth of the Catsbane Brook are
examples of river terraces. The height of the
terraces in Chesterfield and Westmoreland va-
ries from three hundred and fifty to four hun-
dred feet above the sea. No fossils are known
to have been discovered in Chesterfield, the
rocks, for the most part, not being of a kind
known as " fossiliferous."

Incorporation and Settlement. — Pend-
ing the King's decision respecting the dividing
line between Massachusetts and New Hamp-

shire, the General Court of the former province
granted upwards of thirty townships between
the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers. The
township that lay just north of Arlington
(which embraced a portion of the territory now
belonging to Hinsdale and Winchester) and
east of the Connecticut was called Township
No. 1, and was nearly identical with the pres-
ent township of Chesterfield. Townships Nos.
1, 2, 3 and 4 were accepted by the General
Court of Massachusetts, November 30, 1736.
Samuel Chamberlain, of Westford, Mass., was
empowered, December 13, 1737, to call the first
meeting of the proprietors of No. 1 for organi-
zation. It is not known, however, that any
settlement was attempted in this township
under the Massachusetts charter. In fact, the
incursions of the French and Indians into this
part of the Connecticut Valley rendered any
attempt to settle the new township extremely
hazardous for some years subsequent to 1737.

A treaty of peace between France and Eng-
land was signed at Aix-la-Chapelle, October 7,
1748 ; but, in this country, hostilities did not
wholly cease for some time ; for, June 20, 1749,
the Indians assaulted No. 4, and carried off
Enos Stevens, son of Captain Stevens. In
1750, '51 and '52 there was peace in the Con-
necticut Valley. Movements were now made
to get the townships that had been chartered by
Massachusetts, but which had been severed from
that province by the final determination of the
southern boundary of New Hampshire, rechar-
tered by the government of the latter province.

Some time in the year 1751, Josiah Willard,
John Arms and fifty-six others petitioned Gov-
ernor Benning Wentworth to recharter Town-
ship No. 1. The following is a copy of the
petition :
"Province of) To His Excellency Benning Went-

:fl

New Hampr. J worth, Esq., Govr in and over His
Maj,ys Province of New Hainpr, &c, the Hon1 His
Maj'ya Council.

" The Petition of the Subscribers Humbly Shews
that Sundry of your Petitioners some years before the
last Indian War had entered on a tract of Land

126

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Called N°. One, on the Easterly Side Connecticut
River, and adjoining to the same next above Win-
chester, under the Grant of the Massachusetts Bay,
but since the Dividing line Between the sd Massa-
chusetts and the Province of New Harnp1" has been
ascertained by his Majesty, Wee find that the same
falls within the Province of New Hampshire, and are
Desirous to pursue our former Intention of making
a Settlement there if we may be favored with a grant
from his Majesty of that township, under Such Re-
strictions as other Towns Holding under his Maj-
esty in this Province.

•' Wherefore your Petitioners pray that a Grant
may be made them of the said Township N°. one, in
Such a way and manner as yr Excellency & Honrs
See meet, & yr Petirs as in Duty Bound Shall ever
pray — ."

In accordance with this petition, Governor
Wentworth, with the advice and consent of the
Council, granted a charter, February 11, 1752,
to Josiah Willard and others, incorporating
Township No. 1 under the name of Chester-
field. Why this name was bestowed upon No.
1, when it was rechartered, is not known with
certainty.

It is probable, however, that the name was
given to the town by Governor Wentworth
and his Council, either in honor of the Earl of
Chesterfield or the town of the same name in
England. Certain circumstances lead to the
belief that the name was bestowed in honor of
the former. In the first place, the Earl of
Chesterfield was a man of much note at the time
the town was rechartered, having not only
held important government offices, but having
just brought about an important reform of the
calendar, that took effect the same year (1752).
He was also distinguished as an orator and
writer. In the second place, it is well known
that Governor Benning Wentworth was fond
of naming towns in New Hampshire in honor
of distinguished men and places in England.

The names of the grantees of Chesterfield,
as appended to the charter, were as follows:

"Josiah Willard, Nathan Willard, Valentine But-
ler, John Arms, John Arms, Jun'r, Oliver Butler,
Oliver Willard, Oliver Willard, Jun'r, Josiah Wil-
lard, Jun'r, Nathan Willard, Jun'r, Wilder Willard,

John Moore, William Willard, Caleb Trobridge,
William Lawrence, John Hunt, Simon Hunt, Jona-
than Hubbard, Samuel Kennada, Solomon Willard,
Billy Willard, Simon Cooley, Joseph Willard, Wil-
liam Deen, Simon Stone, Peter Oliver, David Hub-
bard, Thomas Pain, John Wheelwright, Nathaniel
Wheelwright, Joseph Wheelwright, Jeremiah Wheel-
wright, Simon Willard, Benj'a Lynd, John Spafford,
Silas Spafford, Sam'l Davis, Phineas Wait, Joanna
Wetherby, Elias Alexander, John Brooks, James
Whitney, Abraham Kendel, Benj'a French, Josiah
Brown, Ebenez'r Day, John French, Jun'r, Sam'l
Greeley, Will'm Spalding, Moses Gould, Will'm
Down, Kobert Fletcher, David Field, Sam'l Field,
David Sterns, John Kendel, Daniel Kendell, James
Stootley, His Excellency, Benning Wentworth, Esq.,
one tract of land to contain five hundred acres, one
whole share for the Incorporated Society for the prop-
agation of the Gospel in foreign parts, one whole
share for the first settled minister of the Gospel in
said Town, one whole share for a Glebe for the min-
istry of the Church of England, as by law estab-
lished. Samuel Wentworth, of Boston, Theodore
Atkinson, Richard Wibird, Samuel Smith, John
Downing, Sampson Sheaffe, Jno. Wentworth."

Theodore Atkinson was secretary of the
province. Richard Wibird, Samuel Smith,
Sampson Sheaffe and John Downing were
members of the Council at the time the town-
ship was regranted.

Colonel Josiah Willard, the leading grantee,
was, for many years, a resident of Winchester.

The charter of Chesterfield is similar to those
of other towns granted by Governor Went-
worth. The township is described therein as
follows :

"All that tract or parcel of land situate, lying and
being within our said Province of New Hampshire,
containing by admeasurement twenty-three thousand and
forty acres, which tract is to contain six miles square,
and no more ; out of which an allowance is to be
made for highways and unimprovable lands by rucks,
ponds, mountains and rivers, one thousand and forty
acres free, according to a plan and survey thereof,
made by our Governour's order, and hereunto an-
nexed, butted and bounded as follows, — viz.: begin-
ning and adjoining to a stake and stones near the
bank of Connecticut river, which is the northwest-
erly corner bound of a place called Winchester,
thence running south seventy-eight degrees east upon
Winchester line aforesaid, till it meets with the

CHESTERFIELD.

127

western line of the lower Ashuelots, so called, then
carrying all the breadth of land between the river
of Connecticut aforesaid and the said Ashuelots, so
far up northerly as will make the contents of six miles
square, bounding on this extent by a stake and stones
near the bank of the river, and thence running south,
seventy-eight degrees east, till it meets with the Ash-
uelots aforesaid."

The charter provided that the township
should be divided into seventy equal shares,
and that a tract of land near the centre of the
same should be " reserved and marked out for
town lots," containing one acre each. Every
grantee was entitled to one of these lots. In
accordance with a provision of the charter, the
town was surveyed (as were also Westmoreland
and Walpole at the same time) and a plan of
it drawn by Josiah Willard and Benjamin
Bellows.

This plan was finished March 18, 1752, and
is now in the office of the Secretary of State,
at Concord. It shows that the general out-
lines of Chesterfield were about the same when
the first survey under the new charter was
made as they are now. The line between
Keene and Chesterfield, running from the
northeast corner of the latter town to the south-
west corner of the former, was stated to be about
two hundred and twenty-five rods in length.
The same line, as measured by Jonas Robbins,
in 1793, was found to be "one mile and six-
teen rods" long, or one hundred and eleven
rods longer than in 1752. From this circum-
stance it might be inferred that this line had
been lengthened before 1793, and that the line
between Swanzey and Chesterfield, which was
described in the original plan as being five
miles and one hundred and eighty rods long,
correspondingly shortened. No record of any
such alterations in these lines has, however,
been found.

Owing to the loss of the proprietary records,
nothing is known concerning the meetings of
the proprietors of the town, or the business
transacted at such meetings, save what is to be
inferred from the proprietors' " chart," or plan

of the town, which, fortunately, has been pre-
served, and is in tolerably good condition. It
is not known when or by whom this plan was
made ; but it is evident that it was made as
early as 1760 or 1761, inasmuch as the earliest
deeds sometimes refer to it.

Governor Wentworth's share (five hundred
acres) lay in the northwest corner of the town,
and is known at the present day as the Gover-
nor's Farm. According to the plan, John
Went worth also had a share of three hundred
acres. These two shares are indicated on the
plan as " B. and J. Wentworth's shares," and
formed a tract bounded on the north by West-
moreland line and on the west by Connecticut
River. It had an average length of about six
hundred and eighty-seven rods and a width of
two hundred rods. Aaron Smith, son of Moses
Smith, the first settler, settled on Governor B.
Wentworth's share about 1767, as did after-
wards his brother, Benjamin Smith. John
Wentworth's share was located just east of the
Governor's Farm, and was purchased by Wil-
liam Randall in 1780.

The glebe is not marked on the plan, but
lay in the southeast quarter of the town. The
minister's share consisted of lots No. 5 in the
first, fifth and eighth ranges of lots, and the
tenth house-lot in the ninth range. Concerning
the location of the share reserved for the " In-
corporated Society for the Propagation of the
Gospel in Foreign Parts," nothing is known.

Nor is it now known whether the " town-
lots," mentioned in the charter, were ever laid
out or not ; but it is certain that some of the
hundred-acre lots, near the central part of the
town, were divided into " half-lots," or " fifty-
acre lots," which are sometimes designated in
old deeds as " house-lots."

A whole share consisted, nominally, of three
lots, of one hundred acres each; but is appears
that most of the proprietors also owned one
" house-lot " each.

Although circumstances were apparently fa-
vorable for immediately settling the new town-

128

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ship at the time the new charter was granted,
no settlement was effected till nine years after-
wards. The last French and Indian War,
which soon broke out, rendered the establish-
ment of new settlements in the Connecticut
Valley, north of the Massachusetts line, ex-
tremely difficult and hazardous.

But the complete conquest of Canada by the
English, in 1760, put an end to the incursions
of the French and Indians, and peace once
more reigned in the valley of the Connecti-
cut.

The grantees of Chesterfield, having been un-
able to carry out the provisions of the charter
within the specified time (five years), petitioned
the Governor and Council for an extension of
time, in order that their grants might not be
forfeited. In accordance with this petition, the
charter was "lengthened out," June 11, 1760.
The term of one year was granted for the ful-
fillment of the conditions imposed upon the
grantees, which term was to be renewed annu-
ally " till His Majesty's plenary instructions
could be received."

On the 20th day of February, 1761, Moses
Smith, who at that time was said to be " of
Hinsdale," purchased of Oliver Willard, of
Brattleborough, one whole right, or share, in the
township of Chesterfield, which right, or share,
belonged to the said Willard by virtue of his being
one of the grantees. The numbers of the lots were
not given in the deed, but it is known that two
of them were the lots numbered 14 and 15, in
the sixteenth range ; the other was probably
lot No. 11, in the second range. Oliver Willard
also owned house-lot No. 10, in the twelfth range.
Having secured some of the best land in the
new township, Moses Smith made preparations
for establishing a home upon the same for him-
self and family. Accordingly, in the month of
November, 1761, as the tradition has always
been, he and his son-in-law, William Thomas,
came up the Connecticut in canoes or boats, for
the purpose of making the first settlement in
the town <>{' ( Ihesterfield.

The exact date of this event is uncertain, as
it has been stated to be both the loth and the
25th of November. Larkin G. Mead, Esq.,
who wrote a brief sketch of Chesterfield for the
" Historical Collections," in 1822, adopted the
latter date. There can be no doubt, however,
that it was in the month of November, 1761,
that the first settlement was effected by Smith
and Thomas.

Both men brought their families with them ;
Smith's consisting, so far as known, of his wife
Elizabeth, and his sons, Aaron, Moses, Amos,
Joseph, Benjamin and Reuben. Of these sons,
Aaron, the oldest, was about twenty-one years
old ; Reuben, the youngest, was about three
years old. Thomas' family consisted, prob-
ably, only of himself and wife, Mary, Smith's
daughter.

Smith built a log cabin on lot No. 14, in
the sixteenth range. The place where this
stood is a short distance north of the present
residence of his great-grandson, George Smith,
and a few rods east of the highway, which, at
this point, runs near the bank of the river.

The site of the cabin is still indicated by a
depression in the plain.

Thomas erected his cabin near the river's
bank, at a point about one mile and a half be-
low Smith's " pitch." It stood a few rods east
of the lower ferry, and a few feet north of the
present highway leading easterly from the
same. Its site is still marked by a depression
in the earth, and a mound adjoining the depres-
sion on its eastern side. This mound consists,
in great part, of ashes and charcoal.

When spring came, the work of clearing a
patch for cultivation was probably begun, al-
though the work of felling trees may have
been prosecuted throughout the winter, when
the weather permitted.

On the 25th day of April, 1762, Thomas'
wife gave birth to the first white child born in
the town. This child was called Mary. She
married Lemuel Stoddard.

There are reasons for believing that the first

CHESTERFIELD.

129

male child born of white parents in Chester-
field was Lotan Hildreth, son of Jonathan
Hildreth, born March 29, 1763.

It is greatly to be regretted that the history
of the town from the date of settlement to the
year 1767 is almost a complete blank. The
town records begin with the latter date ; so
that, on account of the loss of the proprietary
records, as already stated, we have but little to
guide us in our study of this period, save a few
traditions and what can be gleaned from a few
old deeds. It is certain, however, that a large
number of families had become established in
the town before 1767. In the spring of 1762,
Captain Simon Davis, of Greenwich, Mass.,
and Abel Emmons settled in the western part
of the town ; and some time the same year
Peter Wheeler also came to settle. A .saw-mill
is also said to have been constructed this year
by John Snow and Moses Smith. The pro-
prietors granted two pieces of land to them, on
condition that they should erect a mill, keep it
in good repair for the following five years, and
saw boards at as reasonable a rate as was done
in other places. There is a tradition that, after
the first boards were sawed, they were laid down
so as to form a kind of rude floor, upon which
the settlers danced, to celebrate the event.

This mill was built on Catsbane Brook, in
the western part of the "town, and stood near
the place where Warren W. Farr's house now
stands. A grist-mill was also erected, at an
early period, near this saw-mill. Both mills
were carried away by a freshet in the summer
of 1826.

The following persons are known to have
settled in Chesterfield before 1767 :

Ephraim Baldwin and Jonathan Cobleigh,
as early as 1763 ; Daniel Farr, Samuel Farr,
and Nathan Thomas, as early as 1764; Jonathan
Farr, Jr., and Timothy Ladd, in 1765; Eleazer
Cobleigh and Silas Thompson, in 1766.

Of course, the above-named settlers, with

their families, constituted but a small part of

the whole number that were in the town in the
9

year 1767, which year Chesterfield had three
hundred and sixty-five inhabitants. Among
those who had become residents before the
last-mentioned date were Jonas Davis, Ebenezer
Davison, Thomas Emmons, Jonathan and
Samuel Hildreth, James Robertson, James
Wheeler and Nathaniel Bingham.

As already stated, the town records begin
with the year 1767; but there are reasons for
believing that town-meetings had been held an-
terior to that date, the records of which have
been lost.

The following is a copy of the warrant for a
town-meeting held on the second Tuesday in
June, 1767 :

"Province of New Hampshire.

To Samuel Hildreth, constable in and for the town
of Chesterfield : you are, in his majeste's name, here-
by commanded to warn all the Inhabitans of Sd
town to meet att the house of Jonas Daviss In Sd
town, on the Second tuesday of June Next, att one
o'Clock in the afternoon, then and there to act on the
following articels :

" 1. To Chuse a moderator to govarn Sd meeting.
" 2. To Se whether the Town will Raise money to
Defray town Charges and hire Schooling.

" 3. To See whether the town will hire preaching.
"4. to See whether the town will Except of the
Roads as they are now Laid out.

" make Due Return of this warrant att or before
Sd Day apinted for Sd meeting.

" Dated Chesterfield may ye 14, A. D. 17G7.
" Simon Davis,

" John Snow, Selectmen

" Jonathan Hildreth, } of

" Eleazer Cobleigh, I Chesterfield."
" Ebenezer Davison, J

At the meeting called by the above warrant
Captain Simon Davis was chosen moderator.
The sum of five pounds, lawful money, was
voted to defray town charges, and the River
road, running from Westmoreland line to Hins-
dale line, was accepted.

Several other new roads were also accepted
at the same meeting.

It appears from a brief record of a meeting
held July 5, 1768, that the town voted to build
a road " from the road that goes to Keene,

130

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

along by the potash [potashery], to the road
that goes to Winchester."

The record for 1769 is a complete blank. In
1770 the record begins anew, and from that
time to the present is unbroken. On the 16th
day of January, 1770, Josiah Willard, the
leading grantee, was petitioned by thirteen of
the inhabitants of Chesterfield to issue a war-
rant for a meeting to be held in the following
March. The petitioners stated that they had
lost their " charter privileges " of holding town-
meetings. At the meeting called in accordance
with this petition Mr. Willard was present,
and administered the oath of office to the offi-
cers who were chosen.

In 1773 the population of the town num-
bered seven hundred and forty-seven persons,

viz., —

Unmarried men, sixteen to sixty 55

Married men, sixteen to sixty 109

Males under sixteen 224

Males sixty and upwards 12

Unmarried females 220

Married females 120

Widows 7

Slaves 0

Total 747

In 1775 the number of inhabitants was eight

hundred and seventy-four, viz., —

Males under sixteen 241

Males sixteen to fifty, not in the army... 155

Males above fifty 30

Persons gone in the army 36

Females 412

Slaves 0

Total 874

The settlers who came in during the first two
or three years after 1761 appear to have lo-
cated, for the most part, in the western and
central portions of the town ; but by the year
1770 they seem to have been pretty evenly
distributed over its territory, except in the
easternmost parts of the same. As nearly as
can 1>«' ascertained, there were very few settlers
in the southeast quarter of the town previous
to 1780, especially in that part of it known as

"Hardscrabble." From about 1780 to 1805,
however, numerous settlers came into that quar-
ter, which, in spite of its ruggedness and rocki-
ness, has produced some of the best citizens of
the town.

The " New Boston " District, which may be
roughly defined as comprising the upper half
of the valley of Leavitt's Brook, was partially
settled before 1770. It appears to have pos-
sessed its maximum number of inhabitants be-
tween 1790 and 1800.

A settlement was established at an early
period on Streeter Hill, which had for many
years a pretty numerous population. Even the
" Dish Land," which lies to the northward of
Streeter Hill, was once partially occupied by
settlers.

The earliest settlers built, of course, log
houses ; but, John Snow's saw-mill having been
erected in 1762, some of those who came after-
wards built very small frame houses. As the
families became larger, or as the owners became
more prosperous, many of the log houses were
replaced with better ones, or the small frame
houses were enlarged.

There is a tradition that, one or more winters
in the early history of the town, some of the
settlers in the western part of it were obliged
to go almost to the extreme eastern part to get
hay for their horses and cattle, drawing it home
on hand-sleds. The hay thus obtained had
been cut in certain swales, and consisted of wild
grass.

Wolves and bears were more or less trouble-
some to the early settlers, sometimes killing
their sheep, pigs and calves. Wolves appear
to have been numerous at one time, and even
since the year 1800 have been occasionally
killed in the town, as have also bears. It, is
said that John Darling, Sr., who first settled on
Barrett Hill, used to hunt these animals for the
bounty that was paid for their destruction, and
obtained considerable money in this way.

On one occasion a party of men from five
towns assembled at the house of Abraham

CHESTERFIELD.

131

Stearns, in the eastern part of the town, for a
grand bear-hunt. They succeeded in killing
one bear, for which Mr. Stearns (probably in
his capacity of selectman) gave them, as boun-
ty, a barrel of rum valued at twenty dollars ;
and they remained at his house till they had
drunk it all !

Though the early settlers were, in general,
hardy and robust, they appear to have been as
much afflicted by contagious and epidemic dis-
eases as the latter generations, and probably
more so. .Especially was this the case with the
children, who suffered much from scarlet-fever
and what was then called " throat-ail," a dis-
ease that appears to have been very similar to,
if not identical with, diphtheria. Fevers of
various kinds sometimes raged, causing many
deaths among young and old. The crowding
of large families into verv small houses, and
the want of means for combating disease,
necessarily caused great mortality in the case of
epidemic and contagious diseases.

The records of deaths are so few and imper-
fect that it is impossible to ascertain how many
persons died in the town in any year when the
mortality was unusually large ; but the little
grave-stones occasionally found standing in a
row, or near together, in the old cemeteries, are
sad evidences of the mortality that sometimes
existed among the children. How many were
buried to whose memory no stones wTere ever
erected no one can tell.

Chesterfield During the War of the
Revolution. — At a town-meeting held in
Chesterfield, January 17, 1775, it was voted to
accept of the result of the General Congress
held at Philadelphia in the autumn of the
preceding year, and to pay this town's propor-
tion of the expense of another Congress to be
held in the same city the following May.
Lieutenant Brown, Lieutenant Hinds, Nathan-
iel Bingham, Silas Thompson and Ephraim
Baldwin were chosen a committee " to draw up
articles," and make return of the proceedings
of the meeting to the Provincial Committee.

In the warrant for the annual town-meeting,
held on the 1st day of March, the same year,
was the following article : " To see if the town
will choose a committee, agreeable to the advice
of the Continental Congress, whose business it
shall be attentively to observe the conduct of
all persons touching said Congress." Ensign
Moses Smith, Deacon Silas Thompson and
Lieutenant Jacob Hinds were chosen a com-
mittee for the purpose stated in the warrant.

On the 14th day of the next December
a town-meeting was held, at which Archibald
Robertson was chosen to represent Chesterfield
and Hinsdale in the Provincial Congress,
to be held at Exeter on the 21st day of the
same month. Captain Shattuck, Aaron Cooper,
Captain Hildreth, Ensign Smith and Lieuten-
ant Fletcher were constituted a committee to give
Mr. Robertson his instructions.

Previous to September of this year (1775)
thirty-six Chesterfield men went into the army,
the most of them enlisting in Colonel James
Reed's regiment. The " Army Rolls " in the
office of the adjutant-general of the State show
that this town paid bounties to the amount of
£40 6s. Sd. to men who enlisted on account of
the Lexington alarm.

On the 14th of March, 1776, the General
Congress passed the following resolution :

" Resolved, That it be recommended to the several
Assemblies, Conventions and Councils, or Commit-
tees of Safety of the United Colonies, immediately to
cause all persons to be disarmed, within their respec-
tive Colonies, who are notoriously disaffected to the
cause of America, or who have not associated, and
refuse to associate, to defend by Arms the United
Colonies against the hostile attempts of the British
fleets and armies."

This resolution having been received by the

Committee of Safety for the colony, it was

transmitted to the selectmen of the towns

throughout the whole colony, together with the

following request :

"Colony or New Hampshire.
" In Committee of Safety, April 12th, 1776.
" In order to carry the underwritten Resolve of

132

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

the Honorable Continental Congress into execution,
you are requested to desire all males above twenty-
one years of age (lunatics, idiots and negroes excep-
ted) to sign to the Declaration on this paper ; and
when so done to make return thereof, together with
the name or names of all who shall refuse to sign the
same, to the General Assembly or Committee of Safety

of this Colony.

" M. Weare, Chairman."

THE DECLARATION.

" We, the Subscribers, do hereby Solemnly engage
and promise that we will, to the utmost of our Power,
at the Risque of our Lives and Fortunes, with Arms,
oppose the Hostile proceedings of the British Fleets
and Armies against the United American Colonies."

The selectmen of Chesterfield, having re-
ceived the "Declaration," sent the following
reply to the Committee of Safety. The date of
their letter is not given, but it must have been
written before the 12th of June :

" To the Honorable Committee of Safety or General As-
sembly of the Colony of New Hampshire.

" As soon as ever we received your Directions request-
ing us to desire all the Males in this Town to sign to a
Declaration (Lunaticks, &c, excepted) in obedience
thereto we Immediately proceded to give publick No-
tice of your Intentions and otherwise as we Thought
would have the most effectual Tendency to have put
into execution, in order that we might make a Return
by our Representative, but having so short a Time for
to accomplish the Matter in so great a Town, and be-
ing unwilling to omit anything relating to our Duty
and which might be for the Benefit of the Whole, we
calmly deliberated on the matter, asked ye advice of
our Representative and others of Sense and Steadi-
ness, and as we were not limited to a certain Time to
make a Return, we propose to make one as soon as it
may be done with conveniency.
" So rest your Humble Servts.,

" Erini. Baldwin*. \ Selectmen

" Michael Cresey, t of

" Sam'l Hildreth, ) Chesterfield."

June 12, 1776, the selectmen made the
following return :

" In obedience to the within Declaration that we
Rec'd from your Honors, we proceeded According to
your Directions and the persons Names underwriten
are those that Refuse to sign to the Declaration on
your paper :

" Capt. Jona. Hildreth. Eseek Earl.
Lieut. Ephraim Whitney. Ebenezer Harvey.

Ephraim Whitney.
Elisha Walton.
Eleazer Pomeroy.
Ebenezer Cooper.
Ebenezer Fletcher, Jr.

" Eph. Baldwin,

Joseph Prentice.
Sam'l Davis Converse.
Silas Bennett.
Sal. Keing [Sam'l King].

" Moses Smith, Jr.,

Selectmen

" Michael Cresey,

" Ephr'm Hubbard,

Chesterfield."

" Sam'l

Hildreth,

7 J

NAMES OF THOSE WHO

SIGNED THE DECLARATION.

Abraham Wood.

John Pratt.

Simon Davis.

Nathaniel Bingham.

Isaac Davis.

Abel Ray.

John Snow.

Samuel Farr.

Oliver Cobleigh.

Nehemiah Merrill.

Jonathan Farwell.

Samuel Farr, Jr.

Oliver Farwell.

John Haskell.

Silas Thompson.

Ezekiel Powers.

William Farwell.

Silas Wood.

Jonathan Davis.

Obadiah Merrill.

Warren Snow.

William Henry.

Ebenezer Streeter.

Daniel Farr.

William Thomas.

Amasa Colburn.

Daniel Baldwin.

Thomas Harris.

William Simonds.

Douglas Robbins.

Amos Smith.

Ullainell Merrill.

Josh Smith.

Sherebiah Fay.

[prob. Jos. Smith.]

Zur Evans.

Jonathan Farr, (4th).

William Farr, Jr.

Jonathan Farr, (3d).

Ithamar Chamberlain.

Thomas Farr.

Caleb Johnson.

Benjamin Hudson.

Amos Streeter.

Moses Smith.

Abner Johnson.

Josiah Streeter.

Kimball Carlton.

Michael Woodcock.

Theodore Bingham.

Jonathan Cobleigh.

John Pierce.

Jonas Stearns.

Benjamin Colburn.

Samuel Fairbanks.

Ephraim Farr.

Jonathan Farr, (2d).

Isaac Farr.

Josiah Lamb.

Thomas Darby.

Samuel Walker.

Joseph Metcalf.

Archibald Robertson.

Martin Warner.

Andrew Colburn.

David Stooder, Jr.

Lawrence Walton.

[David Stoddard, Jr.]

Phineas Brown.

Samuel Peacock.

John Sanderson.

John Peacock.

William Fisher.

Ephraim Baldwin.

Jonathan Hildreth, J

r. Michael Cressey.

James Wheeler, Jr.

Samuel Hildreth.

Josiah Hastings.

Moses Smith, Jr.

CHESTERFIELD.

133

Andrew Hastings.
Noah Emmons.
Jonathan Cressey.
Ephraim AVheeler.
John Cobleigh.
Joseph Higgins.
James McElroy.
Joseph Wheeler.
James Wheeler.
Zenas Fairbanks.
Nathan Bishop.
Isaac Hildreth.
Israel Johnson.
James Eobertson.
Elisha Rockwood.
Dan Cobleigh.
Aaron Farr.
Peter Wheeler.
Moses Ellis.
Ephraim Hubbard.
Amos Davis.
John White.
Nathan Metcalf.
John Bishop.
Jonathan Cobleigh.
Nathan Thomas.
Abel Emmons.
William Robertson.
Edward Hildreth.
James Davis.

William Aires.
David Stone.
John Grandy.
John Grandy, Jr.
Increase Lamb.
Abner Albee.
Ebenezer Taft.
John Richardson.
Daniel Kinnison.
Joel Whitney.
David Farr.
James Mansfield.
Amos Hubbard.
Jonathan Farr (1st.)
Patrick McMichael.
Abijah Kingsbury.
Ebenezer Gail.
Sylvanus Battey.
Ebenezer Faver.
Abijah Stearns.
Matthew Gray.
William Hildreth.
James Reed.
John Ellis.
Oliver Hubbard.
Michael Metcalf.
Charles Johnson.
Benjamin Smith.
Samuel Fletcher.
Abraham Farr.

Enoch Streeter.

One hundred and thirty-nine persons signed
the declaration, and thirteen refused to sign.
The declaration was known as the " Association
Test," and, according to the returns that were
made, was signed by eight thousand one hun-
dred and ninety-nine persons in the colony of
New Hampshire, while only seven hundred
and seventy-three persons refused to sign.

At a town-meeting held December 2, 1776,
Michael Cressey was elected to represent the
town in the Assembly that was to meet at
Exeter the third Wednesday of the same
month. Rev. Mr. Wood, Deacon Thompson,
Lieutenant Fairbanks, Dr. Harvey and Lieu-
tenant Rockwood were chosen a committee to
give Mr. Cressey his instructions. In accord-
ance with the vote passed on the 2d day of
December, the committee chosen for that pur-
pose gave Mr. Cressey these instructions :

" To Mr. Michael Creasy, Representative for the Town
of Chesterfield in the State of New Hampshire.

" Sir : — Whereas it having pleased Almighty God
to humble the people of this land, by permitting the
tyrant of Great Britain and his minions, in the ful-
ness of their rage, to prevail against them, by sub-
verting the Civil Constitution of every Province in
his late American dominions, affecting thereby the
activity of Law and Justice and [promoting] the in-
troduction of vice and profaneness, attended with
domestick confusion and all the calamities attendant
on the dissolution of the power of Civil Government
which in this alarming progress have made it abso-
lutely necessary for each state to separate itself from
that land from whence their forefathers were exiled
by the cruel hand of tyranny, and to form for itself,
under the ruler of all the earth, such plans of Civil
Government as the people thereof should think most
conducive to their own safety and advantage ; not-
withstanding the importance of an equitable system
of Government, as it affects ourselves and our poster-
ity, we are brought to the disagreeable necessity of
declaring that it is our candid opinion that the State
of New Hampshire, instead of forming an equitable
plan of Government, conducing to the peace and
safety of the State, have been influenced by the in-
iquitous intrigues and secret designations of persons
unfriendly, to settle down upon the dregs of Monarch -
ial and Aristocratical Tyranny, in imitation of their
late British oppressor. We can by no means imagine
ourselves so far lost to a sense of the natural rights
and immunities of ourselves and our fellow men, as
to imagine that the State can be either safe or happy
under a constitution formed without the knowledge
or particular authority of a great part of its inhabi-
tants; a constitution which no man knows the con-
tents of except that the whole Legislative power of
the State is to be entirely vested in the will and
pleasure of a House of Representatives, and that
chosen according to the Sovereign determination of
their own will, by allowing to some towns sundry
voices in the said House, others but one, and others
none ; and in a Council of twelve men, five of which
are always to be residents of Rockingham County,
who by the assistance of two others of said Council,
have the power of a casting voice in all State affairs.
Thus we see the important affairs of the State liable
to be converted to the advantage of a small part of
the State, and the emolument of its officers, by reason
of the other part of the State not having an equal or
equitable share in the Government to counterbalance
the designs of the other. You are therefore author-
ized and instructed to exert yourself to the utmost to

134

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

procure a redress of the aforementioned grievances
and in case they will not comply, to return home for
further instructions.

"Solomon Harvey, per order Com.
" Chesterfield, December ye 12th, 1776."

The inhabitants of Chesterfield were not
alone in complaining of the injustice, as they
regarded it, of the principle of representation
that had been adopted. A number of towns in
the western part of the State remonstrated
against the form of government that had been
assumed, and some of them refused to send
representatives to the Assembly. It was
asserted that every incorporated town, whether
large or small, should be entitled to at least
one representative ; and some towns maintained
that there ought to be no Council to negative
the proceedings of the House.

At the annual town-meeting for 1777, held on
the 5th day of March, Lieutenant Fairbanks,
Jonathan Farr (2d), Lieutenant Robertson, War-
ren Snow and Lieutenant Rockwood were chos-
en a "committee of inspection and correspond-
ence." In the warrant for this meeting was the
following article : " To see if the town will write
anything to ease any reflections cast on the
Hon'ble Committee from the General Court,
by a letter sent to said committee from this
town." The vote on this article was in the
ncuative. The " Hon'ble Committee from the
General Court," mentioned in the warrant, was
appointed December 30, 1770, "to take under
consideration the difficulties and Grievances Sub-
sisting and Complain'd of by Sundry Towns &
People in the County of Grafton, & any other
Towns, respecting the present Form of Govern-
ment &c." The letter referred to was sent to
this committee by the town committee. The
following extract from this letter is apparently
the portion that was regarded as "casting re-
flections " on the General Court's com-
mittee : " We beg therefore to be excused from
holding any personal conference with you on
the subject, as we deem it highly inconsistent
writh the Nature of adjusting grievances of any

kind to oblige the aggrieved individuals to make
separate and unconnected appearances to confer
and make answers to matters respecting the
whole : unless the assembly consider us as a
number of captious individuals without con-
nection or cause of complaint."

Another town-meeting was called for June
12th. The warrant was preceded by an " intro-
ductory address " to the inhabitants of the town,
by Samuel Fairbanks and Elisha Rockwood.
This address was as follows :
" To the Inhabitants of Chesterfield :

" Gentlemen : You are not ignorant of the
calamities of this present day. Enemies without the
state, and within ; and being of late often alarmed
by hearing of many conspiracies of such persons as
were generally esteemed friendly to the American
Cause and Freedom ; and also of the great oppression
of some and rejoicings of others at the fall and under
Vallument of the paper currency, and some rejecting
the Regulating Acts ; all the above said circumstances
considered, with many others that might be offered,
it appears necessary that every town should be
furnished with full sets of officers, both selectmen
and committees of correspondence; and, as one con-
stable is gone, or going, out of town, there will be
need of one in his room and stead, — we have thought
fit by the advice of some and desire of others, to call
the town together for the purposes hereafter men-
tioned."

The fourth article of the warrant that fol-
lowed this address was, "To see if the town
inhabitants will choose a committee of corre-
spondence to unite with other towns in this day
of distress, and use means to defend all our
lawful rights." The constable referred to in the
address was John Pierce.

In June of this year (1777) Ebenezer Har-
vey, Eleazer Pomeroy and Samuel King, all of
Chesterfield, were brought before the " Court
of Inquiry," at Keene, charged with being hos-
tile to the United States. They were put by
the Court under bonds in five hundred pounds
each to remain within the limits of their respec-
tive farms. The following is an extract from an
address sent by the Chesterfield Committee of
Safety to the General Court, relating to the per-
sons in question :

CHESTERFIELD.

135

" To the Honorable Court of the State of New Hamp-
sh ire :
" The Committee of Safety of Chesterfield
humbly sheweth this Hon1,le House, that whereas
sundry Persons, viz: Ebenezer Harvey, Elezor Pom-
roy and Sam'l King, all of Chesterfield abovsd,
were some time in June last, summoned to appear
before the Court of Enquiry, at Keen, as being Enem-
ical to the United States of America, and upon
tryall were, found guilty of a misdemeanor against
the State : — on which account they were fined and
confined to their farms by Bond till that or some
other Court or authority should set them at Liberty : —
upon which they, or some of them, Beg'd the Favour
of sd Court, that they might have ye Liberty of tak-
ing the Oath of Fidelity to the States ; on which
accompt Esqr Giles went Immediately to Exeter, as
we have beeu informed, and procured said oath or
form of it, and sent to us by Sheriff Cook,
of Keen, and our Direction was to take a justice of
the Peace and tender sd oath to those confined per-
sons, to ye end they might take it and perform e ac-
cordingly and be at Liberty ; and we followed the
Directions of Esqr Prentice and Esqr Wyman. The
aforementioned confined persons said they were will-
ing to take ye said oath, if it came from lawful au-
thority ; but they Disputed ye authority and paid no
regard to Esqr Prentice Letter, which was to take the
Oath of fidelity and be set at Liberty ; and as they
were fully fixed in principal or will, they apply'd to
Justice Baldwin and he liberated them. Again they
apply'd to Esqr Wyman and notwithstanding they
neglected to take the oath, he, said Justice, enlarged
their bonds just so far as to serve their own turns ; —
all which was contrary to y8 advice of the Committee,
except they would take ye oath of Fidelity to the
States, and their bonds are just so far enlarged as to
serve their own turns ; and when called upon to do
any publick service, they say that they are confined,
and so are excused : all which gives great uneasiness
to many steady friends to America. . . . We
do therefore pray your Honours to take these things
into your wise consideration, and Dismiss or Confine
the abovementioned persons, and that they be sub-
jects of their duty and service in ye defense of our
much oppress'd land.

" Samuel Fairbank, ] Committee
" Elisha Rock wood, \ of

" James Robertson, Safety.

" Chesterfield, December y8 13th, 1777.
" To the Honble Court or Committee of Safety of this
New Hampshire State, (a Copy near similar to
the former petition.)
Test." " Sam1 Fairbank, Chairman,

Esquire Giles and Esquire Prentice, referred
to in this petition, were probably Benjamin
Giles, of Newport, a prominent member of the
House of Representatives, and Nathaniel Sartel
Prentice, of Alstead. Esquire Wyman was
undoubtedly Colonel Isaac Wyman, of Keene.

April 6, 1778, the selectmen of Chester-
field and the town Committee of Safety joined
in recommending the discharge of Harvey,
Pomeroy and King, without their taking the
" oath of fidelity." Accordingly, they were
discharged the next day by Justices Prentice
and Wyman.

Justice Baldwin, mentioned in the above
address, was Ephraim Baldwin, of Chester-
field. In a letter written by the Chesterfield
committee to President Weare, dated November
3, 1777, Baldwin was accused of having pro-
cured one of Burgoyne's proclamations, and of
" defending the part that the enemies of this
land take." The committee added : " Great
care and Pains was Improved with sd Justice
to Convince him, and after Certain days the sa
Justice signed a Piece acknowledging to the
Com' and all good People that he, sd Justice, had
given the greatest Reason Imaginable to his
friends and Neighbors to view him as unfriend-
ly to his Country : and signing said Piece and
Delivering it to the Chairman of the Committee,
ye said Piece being on the Table before them, sd
Justice takes the Piece without so much as ask-
ing the Coram1 or either of Them, and Betakes
hiinselfto another room and erases out some
words, and was Putting in others, and being en-
quired of why he did thus and so, he, said Justice,
after some words, moved that all the matters
of Dispute then depending between himself and
Committee might be Transmitted to the General
Court, &c." Esquire Baldwin was also accused
of setting at liberty persons confined by the
Court of Inquiry, of which he was a mem-
ber.

In the preceding September depositions
were made by Anne Snow, Abial Johnson, John
Sargent and Fear Sargent, his wife, relative to

136

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

the Tory sentiments expressed by Baldwin.
Under date of the 5th day of the same month,
Esquire Prentice, of Alstead, wrote a letter to
him, remonstrating with him for the course he
had taken and advising him to make a " public
and free recantation" of his opinions, etc.
This letter was formally approved, also, by
Benjamin Bellows. September 25th, Esquire
Baldwin made public acknowledgment of the
truth of the charges brought against him,
confessed sorrow for his conduct and promised
to "improve the utmost of his power and skill
in ye Defense of America." He furthermore
stated that all that had been done by him that
seemed to be hostile to the American cause had
been done " entirely through Inadvertancy and
Not from any good will to georg, the Brittish
King."

Notwithstanding this confession (which, as
appears from the town committee's letter to
President Weare, dated November 3, 1777, he
was accused of trying to alter after he had
signed it) the Committee of Safety of Chester-
field petitioned the Legislature, February 6,
1778, to take some action with regard to Es-
quire Baldwin's conduct. The 2d day of
the following March the House voted " that
Ephraim Baldwin, Esq., of Chesterfield, be
cited to appear before the General Assembly,
on the second Friday of their next session, to
answer to a complaint exhibited to this Court
against him by the Committee of Chesterfield,
as speaking or acting in some measure Enemi-
cal to the Liberties of the American States."

If any action was taken by the Assembly
respecting Baldwin's case, it was not recorded,
for the journal of the House contains no
further reference to the matter.

August 16, 1779, the town voted not to accept
the plan of government for the State that had
been drawn up by a convention assembled at
Concord for that purpose. The record states
that it was "rejected by the number of fifty-two
which were all [that were] then present."

At a town-meeting held the 1st day of May,

1 780, it was voted to raise eight thousand pounds
to be expended on the highways. Each man
was to be allowed twelve pounds per day for
his own labor, and £7 4s. for the use of a yoke of
oxen. This nominally enormous sum was doubt-
less raised to make allowance for the great de-
preciation of the currency.

During the last two or three years of the War
of the Revolution Chesterfield seems to have fur-
nished but a very few men for the military service
of the United States, and several times refused
to bear its proportion of the burdens of the war.
For this reason fines were afterwards imposed
upon the town. In a petition to the General
Court, drawn up by the selectmen of Chesterfield,
June 1, 1786, they used the following language
in speaking of the fine that been imposed for
deficiencies in the last quota of men : " As to
that Point, we are conscious to ourselves, if the
honorable House had been Rightly Informed of
what we as a Town have done and performed
in the war, our Fines might have been much
abated ; But not casting ye blame on ye Honor-
able Court, Ave blame ourselves for defects in ye
Returns made by ye officers then improved."

It is evident that Chesterfield's lukewarmness
in the American cause during; the last two or
three years of the war did not arise from the
prevalence of Toryism in the town, but rather
from the disturbed state of aifairs within its
borders, caused by the memorable controversy
about the " New Hampshire Grants."

As already stated, Chesterfield paid bounties
to the amount of £40 6s. 8c?. to men who en-
listed on account of the "Lexington alarm;"
but the names of the men who received the
bounties have not as far as known been fully
ascertained.

Soon after the battle of Lexington three regi-
ments were organized in New Hampshire, the
Third being commanded by Colonel James Reed,
of Fitzwilliam. One company in this regiment
was commanded by Captain Jonathan Whitcomb.
In this company were the following Chesterfield
men :

CHESTERFIELD.

137

Joseph Smith, fifer.
Eleazer Jordan.
Jonathan Farr.
Joshua Farr.
Eleazer Stoddard.
Joseph Metcalf.
Charles Johnson.
Elijah Walton.

Josiah Hastings.

Elisha Walton.

Eleazer Cobleigh, drumm'r.

Ephrairn Farr.

Asa Gale.

John Merrill.

Benjamin Wheeler.

Captain Whiteomb's company appears to have
been at Medford, Mass., October 13, 1775, as at
that date the men signed a receipt for money
received "in lieu of coats promised by the
Colony of New Hampshire."

Another company in Colonel Reed's regiment
was under the command of Captain Jacob
Hinds, of Chesterfield. The following men,
besides Captain Hinds, belonged to this town:

Ezekiel Davis, sergeant. Jacob Davis.
David Stoddard, sergeant. Jacob Hinds, Jr.
William Farwell, sergeant. Richard Coughlan.

[On one roll the last-named is put down as
sergeant-major.] This company also appears
to have been at Medford in October.

The men in these two companies received
wages ranging from six pounds to £8 lis. 5d.
for terms of service varying from three months
to three months, sixteen days. Captain Hinds
received £19 4s. 3d. for three months and eight
days' service. It is evident, however, that both
companies served longer than the maximum
time given in the pay-roll.

Colonel Reed's regiment took part in the
battle of Bunker's Hill, as it is commonly
called.

According to the "Army Rolls," a man
named John Davis (or John Dawes, as given on
one roll), of Chesterfield, a member of Reed's
regiment, was killed in this battle, and Josiah
Walton, also of Chesterfield, wounded. With
regard to the first-named, the writer has not
been able to determine whether he really
belonged to this town or not; the last-named
may have been intended for Elijah Walton or
Elisha Walton.

It is not known how long the Chesterfield
men in Reed's regiment remained in the service

after October, 1 775 ; but it is evident that some
of them had returned home before June 12,
1776.

Early in 1776 a regiment of New Hampshire
men was raised for the defense of the western
frontier of the State, and placed under the com-
mand of Colonel Timothy Bedel. This regi-
ment was at the " Cedars," in Lower Canada, in
May of that year, where it was soon afterwards
surrendered to the enemy by Major Butterfield,
who had command at that time. One company
of this regiment was commanded by Captain
Daniel Carlisle, of Westmoreland, and contained
at least four Chesterfield men, viz., —

Aaron Smith, ensign. Thomas Gibbs, sergeant.

Nathaniel Bacon, fifer. Eleazer Jordan, corporal.

It is quite probable that there were several
more men from Chesterfield in the same com-
pany, but they cannot be identified with cer-
tainty.

The non-commissioned officers and privates
received each, when mustered, one month's
wages, a bounty of forty shillings, fifteen shil-
lings for " blanket-money," and one penny per
mile for " billeting." Their term of service
probably did not exceed a year. The following
is a copy of a sworn statement made by Thomas
Gibbs respecting his losses at the " Cedars" :

" I, the Subscriber, whose name is hereunder writ-
ten, was in Coll0 Timothy Beddell Regiment, But
more espeshaly under the Command of major But-
terfield, Commander at the Seaders, and was Capti-
vated and Stripped by the Savage of the following

Articles in ye year 1776.

" Thomas Gibbs.

£ s. d.

"Thomas Gibbs lost one gun 21 0 0

INewBever Hatt 12 12 0

1 Brace Ink Stand 0 14 0

1 Powder home 110

1 Comb 0 3 6

1 Coat 16 16 0

1 pr Shoes 2 2 0

1 Snap Sack, 1 Bag 1 18 0

1 Canteen... 0 7 0

£56 13 6"

It appears from the record that Gibbs was
not indemnified for his losses.

138

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEAV HAMPSHIRE.

Gustavus Bingham.
Amasa Colburn.
John Peacock.
Amos Pattridge.
Nathaniel Sanger.
William Day.

In July and August of the same year, a reg-
iment of New Hampshire men was raised, of
which Joshua Wingate was colonel. One com-
pany in this regiment was commanded by Cap-
tain William Humphrey. This company con-
tained the following Chesterfield men :

Joseph Metcalf, corporal.
John Pratt.
James Wheeler.
Joseph Metcalf, Jr.
Thomas Metcalf.
Elijah Watson [Walton].

Perhaps the name of Ebenezer Porter should
be added.

This regiment was sent to reinforce the
northern army in New York State. Most of
the privates in Captain Humphrey's company
received, each, advanced wages and bounties
amounting to £9 18s. The time of service has
not been determined, but it is certain that some
of the Chesterfield men had returned home
before May and June of the following year.

One of the companies of Colonel Nahum
Baldwin's regiment (raised in September the
same year, and sent to reinforce the Continen-
tal army in the State of New York) was com-
manded by Captain John Houghton. It con-
tained the following Chesterfield men :

John Bishop. Jonathan Cressey.

James Robertson. Jonathan Farwell.

Josiah Hastings. Isaac Farr.

Jonathan Farr. Nathan Thomas.

Ezekiel Powers. Jonathan Farr (3d).

Each man was paid six pounds in advance
and allowed £1 13s. 4d. for two hundred miles
of travel. The date of their discharge has not
been ascertained, but most of the men from
Chesterfield were at home early in the summer
of the next year.

Another regiment was raised in New Hamp-
shire in December, 1776, for the same purpose
as the two last mentioned. It was commanded
by Colonel David Gilman. In Captain Fran-
cis Towne's company, in this regiment, were at
least two men from Chesterfield, viz. : Zenas
Fairbanks (Jonas Fairbanks on one roll) and
Aaron Farr.

They each received wages from December 5,
1776, to March 12, 1777, amounting to £6
10s. Sd., and were allowed two pounds for four
hundred and eighty miles of travel, at one pen-
ny per mile.

Amos Colburn, of Chesterfield, was commis-
sioned second lieutenant in Colonel Alexander
Scammel's regiment, November 7, 1776, and
appears to have remained in the service till 1779,
if not longer.

Ebenezer Fletcher, of this town, was also
first lieutenant in the same regiment, having
been appointed January 15, 1777.

November 11, 1776, William Lee, of Ches-
terfield, was appointed lieutenant in Colonel
Cilley's regiment and served till January 8,
1778.

It appears from the following extracts from
the journal of the House that, some time in
June, 1776, the selectmen, or town Committee
of Safety, made a requisition on the colonial
authorities at Exeter for gunpowder for the use
of the town :

"Monday, June 17, 1776. — Voted to choose a com-
mittee of this House to confer with a committee of
the Honorable Board on the expediency of furnishing
the town of Chesterfield with powder to defend them-
selves against the attempts and assaults of all persons
who appear by their conduct inimical to this Country,
and to make report to this House as soon as may be,
and that Captain Prentice, Major Bellows and Dr.
Dearborn be the committee of this House for that
purpose."

" Tuesday, June 18, 1776. — Voted that half a barrel
of gunpowder be delivered out of the powder-house
in Exeter, to the selectmen of Chesterfield, on their
order, for the use of said town of Chesterfield,
and that the said selectmen of Chesterfield, or some
person in their stead, give a receipt therefor, and
promise to account with the treasurer of this
Colony for the same."

The honorable board concurred with the
House in both votes.

In the company commanded by Captain
Waitstill Scott, of Westmoreland, (in Colonel
Ashley's regiment), and which marched to
Ticonderoga in May, 1777, were the following
men who belonged to Chesterfield :

CHESTERFIELD.

139

James Robertson, first lieu-
tenant.

Samuel Davis, ensign.

William Hildreth, ser-
geant.

Daniel Colburn, corporal.

Daniel Farr, corporal.

Eleazer Jordan.

Joseph Metcalf.

Amos Partridge (or Pat-
tridge).

Eli Partridge (or Pat-

tridge).
Samuel Stearns.
Ephraim Farr.
Thomas Farr.
Jacob Farr.
Charles Farr.
John Sanderson.
AVilliam Thomas.
Nathaniel Walton.

The most of Captain Scott's men served
about forty clays, and were discharged June 21st.
They received pay at the rate of £4 10s. per
month, and were allowed three pence per mile
for marching to Ticonderoga, and two pence per
mile for the return march. The distance, each
wav, was called one hundred and ten miles.

The troops that went to Ticonderoga in
May had scarcely arrived home when tidiugs
were brought of the actual approach of Bur-
goyne's army toward that important post.
Again the New Hampshire militia was called
upon to march to the rescue. One of the com-
panies in Colonel Ashley's regiment was com-
manded by Lieutenant Oliver Cobleigh, of this
town, and nearly, or quite, all the men belonged
also to Chesterfield. The roll of Lieutenant
Cobleigh's company was as follows :

Josiah Hastings, ensign. Jonas Davis, sergeant.
Samuel Davis, sergeant. James Wheeler, sergeant.
Ezekiel Powers, sergeant. Dan Cobleigh, corporal.

Amos Davis.
Jonathan Farr, Jr.
Daniel Baldwin.
Thomas Whitcomb.
Isaac Hildreth.
Benjamin Smith.
Ebenezer Farr.
Eleazer Stoddard.
Jonathan Cressy, Jr.
Joel Whitney.
William Crafford.
Amos Streeter.
John Peacock.

Privates,

Ebenezer Fletcher.
Joseph Higgins.
Elisha Walton.
Henry Cressey.
Joseph Higgins, Jr.
Ephraim Amidon.
Amos Smith.
Aaron Smith.
Martin Warner.
Jonathan Starr (?) (prob-
ably Farr).
Jonathan Davis.

The fortress at Ticonderoga was evacuated by
the Americans on the 6th of July, so that the

troops that started to its assistance were not in
season to be of much use. Some of them
learned of the evacuation before they had pro-
ceeded a great way, and returned home. None
of Lieutenant Cobleigh's men seem to have
been absent more than thirteen days, and some
not more than seven, four or three days.

They all belonged to Chesterfield, with the
possible exception of Thomas Whitcomb, Wil-
liam Crafford (or Crawford) and Ephraim
Amidon. The last-named was either of West-
moreland or this town.

Another company in Colonel Ashley's regi-
ment was commanded by Lieutenant James
Robertson, of Chesterfield. The following Ches-
terfield men, under command of Lieutenant
Robertson, set out for Ticonderoga, June 29,
1777:

Moses Smith (who also
ranked as lieutenant).

Daniel Kennison, ensign.

John Ellis, sergeant.

Silas Richardson, sergeant.

John Pratt, sergeant.

Jonathan Farwell.

John Davison.

William Henry.

Nathan Metcalf.

Thomas Daby.

Joseph Metcalf.

Ebenezer Streeter.

Asa Gale.

Amos Partridge (or Pat-
tridge).

Samuel Walker.

Daniel Colburn.
Samuel Davis Converse.
Oliver Hobart (probably

Hubbard).
Zenas Fairbanks.
Thomas Metcalf.
Reuben Hildreth.
Jesse Hildreth.
Joseph Smith.
Silas Thompson.
Nathaniel Bingham.
Andrew Hastings.
Elisha Rockwood.
Joseph Metcalf, Jr.
Reuben Graves.
Asa Metcalf.

It is possible that a few more of the men
who marched with Lieutenant Robertson also
belonged to Chesterfield ; but the above-named
are all that can be identified with certainty. The
men of this company were absent, at the long-
est, only thirteen days ; some of them not more
than two or three days.

One of the regiments in General Stark's
brigade was commanded by Colonel Moses
Nichols. The Eighth Company of this regiment
was under command of Captain Kimball Carl-
ton, of Chesterfield. The record says that tin's

140

HISTOKY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

company " marched from Chesterfield and
towns adjacent, July 22, 1777." It took part
in the battle of Bennington, on the 16th day of
August following. The following are the
names of men in this company who have been
identified with certainty as belonging to this
town :

Josiah Hastings, ensign. Amos Partridge (or Pat-
Daniel Farr, sergeant. tridge).

Noah Emmons, corporal. Benjamin Streeter.

Thomas Metcalf. Daniel Baldwin.

Joseph Metcalf. Jacob Farr, Jr.

Charles Farr. Jonathan Cobleigh.

William Farr. Samuel Peacock.

Lemuel Stoddard. Amos Hobart (probably
Jonathan Farr. Hubbard).

Jonathan Hildreth, Jr. Aaron Fisk.

Theodoras Bingham. Samuel D. Converse.

According to tradition, John Pierce and
others of Chesterfield (whose names are not now
known), took part in the battle of Bennington
as independent volunteers. Oliver Brown and
Thomas Farr are said to have driven cattle for
the use of the American army. The British
captured the cattle, whereupon the two young
men went into the ranks and served as soldiers.
It has always been claimed that the roar of the
cannon on that eventful day, was heard by
several different persons in this town. It was
heard, it is said, by the wife of Aaron Fisk,
who lived on the hill west of Spafford's Lake.
Greatly agitated thereby, she walked about the
house as long as it continued.

The most of Captain Carlton's men served
two mouths and two days, and received pay at
the rate of £4 10s. per month, each.

Xo Chesterfield men are known to have been
killed at this battle, and the names of those
who were wounded, if any, have not been as-
certained.

In June, 1777, Gustavus Bingham and John
Grandy, both of Chesterfield, enlisted ; but in
what regiment has not been determined with
certainty. Both were discharged January 10,
1778. The town paid bounties this year (1777)
to the amount of £100 8s.

In 1778 Chesterfield paid bounties to the
amount of £Q6 13s. 9d. The name of only
one of the men who enlisted this year has been
ascertained, viz., John Hill, aged twenty -three
years. He enlisted in Captain Wait's com-
pany, Stark's regiment, and received, in May,
a bounty of twenty pounds.

In 1779 the bounties and mileages paid by
the town to soldiers amounted to upwards of
four hundred pounds. In the spring of this
year the following Chesterfield men enlisted in
Captain Ephraim Stone's company, Colonel
Mooney's regiment :

Jonathan Cressey. John Putnam.

Martin Hildreth.

Each received a bounty of thirty pounds,
and eleven pounds for one hundred and ten miles
of travel (to Providence). Colonel Mooney's
regiment was raised for the defense of Rhode
Island.

In July, the same year, the following men
enlisted for the town of Chesterfield :

William Nichols.
Phineas Hemenway.
Thomas Woolev.

David Pierce.
Simon Pierce.

They enlisted in the " Continental service "
for the term of one year, and received a bounty
of sixty pounds each.

In the summer of 1780, Francis Crane,
William Lee, Reuben Still, David Still, Nathan
Dodge, all enlisted for the town of Chesterfield,
and served a few months, at the least. Crane,
in a petition dated April 7, 1783, stated that,
" being at Glasgo, in the Bay State, on or about
the Twentieth of sd July [i.e., July, 1780], he,
the Deponent Did by misfortune and axcident
( "lit off two of his Fingers and was thereby Dis-
abled to go forward to the army, and was under
the care of Doc : Primous, a noted and ap-
proved Doctor & Surgeon, near four months,
&c."

The following is the doctor's certificate :

"East Windsor, June the 27, 1782.
" ivhereas, I was imployed to Doctr frauds Crain, of
said East Windsor, for the Los of too fingers and a

CHESTERFIELD.

141

weakness in his Breast which said Crain was unfit for

Soldier's Duty from July, 1780, till January ; given

under my hand.

" Primods Manamit, Doctor."

The following; Chesterfield men also enlisted
this year (1780) in Colonel Moses Nichols'
regiment, raised for the defense of West Point :

John Pratt (who appears Daniel Baldwin.

to have been appoint- Noah Emmons.

ed a lieutenant). Aaron Cressey.
Ebenezer Safford.

In October the same year, the British and
Indians burned Royalton, Vt., and committed
other depredations in the vicinity of that town.
It seems that Captain Josiah Hartwell, perhaps
of Chesterfield, with a few men from his town
(whose names have not been ascertained), was
among those who went in pursuit of the enemy.
Captain Hartwell's pay-roll, " allowed by the
General Court's special Committee in the lump,"
amounted to =£37 14s. 4d.

The following is an extract from a petition

sent to the Legislature by the selectmen of

Chesterfield, dated June 1, 1786 :

"... We would humbly inform this House,
that we hired one Merifield Vicary, who served in
Coll : Hazell's Regt, and we have obtained his Dis-
charge ; we also hir'd one Nath1 Merrild [Merrill] for
three years and also one Silas Pay, who served dur-
ing ye war, — and your humble Petitioners beg we
might have credit for what service we have done in
ye war, &c."

The Legislature allowed seventy-two pounds
for Silas Ray.

Merrill and Ray were members of Captain
John Grigg's company, Colonel Scammel's
regiment : as were also Levi Far well and John
Daniels, both of Chesterfield.

At a town-meeting held January 11, 1781, a
settlement was made with Nathan Thomas and
others for lead furnished for the use of the
town on the occasion of a certain " alarm," in
October, 1776. The cause of the "alarm " has
not been ascertained. The following is a state-
ment of the amount of lead furnished, together
with the names of those who furnished it :
Nathan Thomas, 6 pounds, 6 ounces ; Noah

Emmons, 1 pound, 12 ounces ; Abel Emmons,
3 pounds ; Jonathan Farr (2d), 9 pounds, 8
ounces ; Captain Simon Davis, 9 pounds.

It was voted to allow six Continental dollars
per pound for the lead !

In August, 1794, Chesterfield "Voted to
make up the soldiers' wages equal to forty shil-
lings per month, including the pay which Con-
gress has given them, exclusive of the cloth-
ing."

The names of but few Chesterfield men who
were wounded or killed, or who lost their lives
from any cause while serving their country in
the struggle for independence, have been ob-
tained by the writer.

According to the town records, Nathan
Bishop died in the army in 1777 ; David Stod-
dard, Sr., went into the army, it is said, and
never returned ; Elisha Bingham was discharged
from the service and died while on his way
home; Gustavus Bingham was also wounded
in the head some time during the war, but re-
covered. As already stated, John Davis (or
Dawes) was officially reported as killed, and Jo-
siah Walton as wounded, at Bunker's Hill ; but
these two cases are somewhat in doubt.

Chesterfield's Part in the Contro-
versy ABOUT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.

— The year 1781 will ever be memorable in
the annals of Chesterfield on account of the ex-
citement and strife that existed within its bor-
ders, arising from what is known in the history
of the States that took part therein as the
" Controversy about the New Hampshire
Grants." The government of New York
claimed j urisdiction as far eastward as the Con-
necticut, by virtue of a grant from Charles the
Second to the Duke of York, in 1674. In
spite of this claim, Governor Benning AYent-
worth, of New Hampshire, continued to grant
townships west of the Connecticut, having
made, up to 1764, inclusive, about one hundred
and twenty-nine grants, including Brattlebor-
ough, Bennington and many other now import-
ant towns of Vermont.

142

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

After the establishment of the independence
of Vermont, a majority of the inhabitants in a
number of towns in the western part of New
Hampshire were desirous of forming a union
with the former State. Among the towns in
favor of this project was Chesterfield, in which
a bitter partisan spirit seems to have been en-
gendered, that came near culminating in blood-
shed.

Two, at least, of the Board of Selectmen for
the year 1 781 belonged to what may be called
the Vermont party. These were Samuel King,
Jr., and Moses Smith, Jr. By them a town-
meeting was called, in the name of the " Gov-
ernment and Good People of the New Hamp-
shire Grants," to be held on Thursday, March
29th. The second article in the warrant for
this meeting was, " To see if the town will
agree to establish or accept of the union agreed
upon between the Legislature of the State of
Vermont and the Committee of the New Hamp-
shire Grants, held at Windsor in February,
1781." The third article was, "To choose one
or more members to sit in the Assembly of
Vermont on the first Wednesday of April
next, in case the union takes place, or in the
Convention at Cornish on the aforesaid day,
as the circumstances may require."

At this meeting it was voted to accept the
terms of union mentioned in the warrant, and
Deacon Silas Thompson and Samuel King, Jr.,
were chosen to represent the town in the As-
sembly of Vermont. The number of votes in
favor of union with that State was ninety ;
against, thirty-two.

On the 2d day of May following another
town-meeting was held, called, as the record
states, " agreeable to the order of the State of
Vermont." At this meeting Ephraim Baldwin
was chosen town clerk. Sixty-nine men then
took the oath prescribed by the law of Ver-
mont, and proceeded to vote for chief judge, as-
sistant judges, high sheriff, judge of Probate and
justices of the peace, all for the " County of
Washington, in the State of Vermont." At

another meeting, held the 14th day of the same
month, several more " freemen " were sworn in.

The town was now completely in the posses-
sion of the " Vermont party," and remained so
during the rest of the year ; but the adherents
of New Hampshire were by no means inactive,
and stoutly opposed the proceedings of the ma-
jority.

On the 25th day of August, the same year,
Nathaniel Bingham, Michael Cressey, William
Lee and James Robertson drew up a memorial
to the Council and House of Representatives
of New Hampshire, in which they deplored
the action of the partisans of Vermont, and
gave the names of eighty of the inhabitants of
Chesterfield who declared that tliey still re-
garded themselves as subjects of New Hamp-
shire. The memorialists concluded by begging
for advice and protection, and subscribing them-
selves as " loyal and affectionate subjects."

On the 5th day of November following;, in
the evening, several of the inhabitants of Ches-
terfield met at the house of Nathaniel Bingham,
a short distance north of the Centre village, on
what is now sometimes called Wetherbee Hill,
for the purpose of nominating one or two per-
sons to be commissioned as justices of the peace
by the New Hampshire Legislature. While
they were assembled for this purpose, Samuel
Davis, of Chesterfield, acting as constable
under the authority of Vermont, entered Mr.
Bingham's house, with several others, and
attempted to serve a " precept " on James Rob-
ertson. Dr. Belknap says that the precept, or
writ, was in an action of debt. Davis, how-
ever, was not able to accomplish the object of
his visit, on account of the opposition, as he al-
leged, of Mr. Bingham and John Grandy, Jr. On
the 12th of the same month warrants were issued
for the arrest of Bingham and Grandy, "in the
name and by the authority of the freemen of the
State of Vermont," and they were soon after-
wards committed to the jail in Charlestown,
from which they sent a petition to the General
Assembly of New Hampshire, praying for

CHESTERFIELD.

143

relief. Bingham also sent a letter to the
Speaker of the New Hampshire House of
Representatives, containing a statement of
the facts relating to his and Grandy's arrest
and imprisonment. Colonel Enoch Hale,
of Rindge, sheriff of Cheshire County, hav-
ing been authorized by the Assembly to re-
lease all the prisoners in the Charlestown jail
confined by the Vermont authorities, endeavored
to execute his commission without delay, but was
himself arrested and committed to the same jail
by a deputy-sheriff acting under authority of
Vermont. The Vermont authorities, fearing that
the New Hampshire government would attempt
to accomplish with the aid of military force
what the Cheshire sheriff had failed to do, sent
a request to Samuel King, Jr., of this town,
who was then serving Vermont as colonel of
a regiment of militia, to hold his men in readi-
ness to march " on the shortest notice." It ap-
pears that King immediately took measures to
get his men in readiness, for he was particularly
zealous in his support of the cause of the
"grants," and seems to have been ready to
fight, if necessary. The following letter from
Michael Cressey, of Chesterfield, to General
Bellows, of Walpole, gives some insight into the
state of affairs in this town at that time :

" Sir, — I Beg the Leave to inform your Hon'r that
the Pertened Coll. King has sent out, By order, as I
am informed from Doc. Page [sheriff of the so-called
county of Washington], to Raise his Rige'mt to op-
pose New Hampshire, and that he Called the militia
of this Town together yesterday to see who would
tight against New Hampshire ; and that, as I am
Credably informed, there was about sixty turned out
as Vollenters for that Purpose, and the sed King
Urged them in the strongest terms to Stand By one
another, and by thire officers, for thire Rights against
the State of New Hampshire, assuring them if they
stood firm New Hampshire would not fight. It is
also reported that he sent over to Captain Sarjants,
at Brattilbrough, to assist, but what return unknown.
Sir, I thought Proper to inform you of these move-
ments, and I Pray Heaven to give both you and the
State of New Hampshire wisdom to conduct matters
wisely at such a Critical day as this. From your
most obedient and Humble Sarv't.,

" Michael Cressey.

"Chesterfield, Dec'ber ye 5th, 1781.
" To Gen'al Bellows."

Near the end of the month in which this let-
ter was written, Colonel Samuel King was ar-
rested by a New Hampshire special sheriff
(Robert Smith), who started with him for
Exeter ; but he had got no farther than Keene
with his prisoner when he was set upon by a
party of anti-New Hampshire men (the most of
whom appear to have been from Chesterfield
and Westmoreland), who rescued King (Jan-
uary 1, 1782). King was soon afterwards re-
arrested, but does not appear to have been kept
long in confinement, as he was soon afterwards
taking part again in town affairs.

On the 1st day of January (at midnight),
1782, Captain Joseph Burt, of AYestmoreland,
wrote a letter to President Weare, of the
Council, in which he stated that the party who
had rescued King, in the morning of the same
day, returned to Chesterfield and arrested Lieu-
tenant (James) Robertson, whom they were dis-
posed " to treat according to the custom of Ver-
mont,— that is, by whipping him." Captain
Burt's informant was Mr. Bingham's son, who
said that a number of persons had been driven
from their homes that night by the riotous
Vermont men. The captain also added : " The
triumphs of the Vermonts are great, and [they]
say that New Hampshire dare not come like
men, in the day-time, but like a thief, and steal
a man or two away."

The next day (January 2d) General Bellows
also sent a letter to President Weare, depicting
in very vigorous language the unhappy condi-
tion of affairs in Chesterfield. After corrob-
orating, in the main, the statements in Cap-
tain Burt's letter, the general added : " I am
credibly informed that there is in said Chester-
field about an Hundred Persons who support
said King, who Damn New Hampshire and
all their authority to Hell, and say they (New
Hampshire) can do nothing only in a mean, un-
derhanded way. In short, they Defy all the
authority and force of the State, and are deter-
mined to support and maintain their usurped
authority, maugre all attempts that have [been]

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

or shall be made to curb and restrain their
usurpations. . . ."

Such was the state of affairs in this part of
the State, especially in Chesterfield, in the win-
ter of 1781-82. Happily, however, through
the intervention of Congress, this memorable
controversy was brought to a close, and, on the
23d of February, 1782, the Vermont Assembly
passed a resolution relinquishing all claims to
territory lying within the prescribed boundaries
of that State. Yet peace and harmony were by
no means wholly re-established in the disaf-
fected towns. Says Belknap : " Though cut off
from their connection with Vermont, the re-
volted towns did not at once return to a state of
peace ; but the divisions and animosities which
had so long subsisted continued to produce dis-
agreeable effects."

It having been definitely settled that Ches-
terfield belonged to New Hampshire, upwards
of thirty of the inhabitants and freeholders of
the town made application to General Bellows,
of Walpole, and William Lee, of Chesterfield,
justices of the peace, to issue a warrant for the
annual town-meeting for the year 1782. At
this meeting, held the 6th day of March, the
Vermont party still asserted its power, by elect-
ing at least a majority of the principal town-
officers ; whereupon the minority submitted a
vigorous protest.

An event that occurred in September of the
same year shows how bitter the opposition still
was to the New Hampshire government on the
part of some of the inhabitants of Chesterfield.
When the Inferior Court met at Keene, that
month, a party of anti-New Hampshire men,
led by Samuel Davis, of Chesterfield, attempted
to break it up. It appears, however, that
Davis and his men soon found themselves out-
numbered, and desisted from their undertaking.
He, together with others, was arrested and put
under bonds to appear at the next term of the
Superior Court ; but they were afterwards dis-
charged without punishment. The fact that it
was thought necessary to send a military force

into Chesterfield at one time, to aid in the
collection of taxes, is further evidence of the
hostility that was still manifested toward New
Hampshire. It appears that Colonel Reuben
Alexander, of Winchester, received orders "to
raise the body of his regiment," or as many of
his men as might be sufficient, and march them
into Chesterfield on Tuesday, the 21st day of
January, 1783, to assist in collecting taxes;
but on account of the " clamor of the people,"
he feared to comply with the order, stating, as a
further reason, that " the greater part that
could be raised would turn out with intent to
mutinize and confound our proceedings." Op-
position to New Hampshire gradually died out,
however, and for a whole century Chesterfield
" has creditably performed her part in war and
in peace."

Soldiers Furnished by Chesterfield in
the Second War with Great Britain. —
If any men enlisted from Chesterfield in the
military or naval service of the United States
in the years 1812 and 1813, their names are not
known to the writer.

September 9, 1814, Governor Gilman issued
an order for the whole of the militia " to hold
themselves in readiness to march at a moment's
warning, completely armed and equipped ac-
cording to law, and as well provided as possible
with blankets and ammunition." An order had
already been issued, two days before, for de-
tachments from twenty-three regiments of the
militia. These orders were received by the mi-
litia with great enthusiasm, and were promptly
obeyed. The men detached in accordance with
the order of September 7th were duly organized
into several regiments and battalions, which
formed one brigade under the command of
General John Montgomery. The first draft
was made in Chesterfield September 13th. The
names of the men thus obtained were as fol-
lows :

Amos Stone, sergeant. Eli Darling, corporal.

Privates.
Joshua Wiggins. Isaac Wetherby.

CHESTERFIELD.

145

Francis Winch. Ezra Putney.

Stephen Streeter, Jr. Roswell Metcalf.

Montgomery Darling.

These men were to serve three months, unless
sooner discharged. They formed part of Cap-
tain Nathan Glidden's company, in the First
Regiment of detached militia, commanded by
Colonel Nat. Fisk, of Westmoreland. Cap-
tain Glidden was of Unity. Eli Darling was
discharged Xovember 3d ; Joshua Wiggins
and Isaac Wetherby, November 10th. Mont-
gomery Darling was accidentally hit by a
bayonet on the gnn of a fellow-soldier, and lost
the sight of one eve from the effects of the
wound. He was discharged Xovember 6th.

The next draft was made September 20th, and
the following men were obtained :

Samuel L. Draper.
Daniel Stearns.
Elijah Lyons.

John Bass.
Philip Bacon.
Lyman Toms [Tomhs].

The men obtained by this draft formed a
part of the company commanded by Captain
Reuben Marsh, of this town, in the Second Regi-
ment of detached militia. Ara Hamilton and
Bradley Mead, also both of Chesterfield, were
lieutenants in the same company. Captain
Marsh and Lieutenants Hamilton and Mead went
to Portsmouth with the detachment, which was
five days in marching to that place. Samuel
L. Draper went as a substitute ; but, on his ar-
rival at Portsmouth, Captain Marsh procured
for him the position of fifer for the company.
John H. Fuller, then of Chesterfield, afterwards
of Keene, was adjutant of the regiment to which
Captain Marsh's company belonged. The men
were to serve sixty days, but they were dis-
charged a few days before the expiration of their
term of service. Elijah Lyons was discharged
November 3d. The British did not attack
Portsmouth, as was anticipated, and the greater
part of the troops that had assembled there were
discharged before their term of service expired.

Record of the Citizens of Chesterfield
who Enlisted in the Military Service
of the United States during the War of

the Rebellion (1861-65). — On the breaking
out of the War of the Great Rebellion the mili-
tary spirit that had so long lain dormant was
again aroused, and men of all political beliefs
laid aside their differences for a while, and joined
with one another in their efforts to sustain the
general government in the attempt to put down
the most formidable rebellion recorded in the
annals of the world. Chesterfield furnished
during the war upwards of one hundred and ten
men for the Union army, of whom seventy-four
were residents of the town ; the rest were not
citizens of Chesterfield, but were hired by the
town to fill its quota, or by individuals as sub-
stitutes.

Only one of the substitutes was a resident of
Chesterfield; the rest were mainly "brokers'
men," and belonged, in great part, to the class
of men so well known during the war as " bounty-
jumpers."

With very few exceptions, those persons who
were citizens of the town at the time of their en-
listment served till they were honorably dis-
charged.

The following record of the soldiers furnished
by Chesterfield during the Civil War contains
only the names of those who were actually resi-
dents of the town at the time of their enlistment.
It has been carefully compiled from the records
of the town, from the reports of the Adjutant-
General of the State, and from information de-
rived from private sources.

("Note. — When the cause of a soldier's discharge is not
stated, it is to he understood that he was discharged hy
reason of expiration of term of service or termination of
the war].

Norris E. Bancroft, private, Company F, Eighth
Maine Infantry ; three years ; mustered in Au-
gust 14, 1861 ; discharged January 18, 1866 ;
served two years and twenty days as a re-enlisted
veteran.

Clinton A. Bancroft, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry; three years; mus-
tered in September 23, 1862; discharged July 8,
1865.

Bradford Britton, musician, Company E, Sixth New
Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mustered in

146

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

November 28, 1861 ; discharged June 16, 1862 ;
discharged for disability.

George B. Britton, private, Company E, Twentieth
Massachusetts Infantry; three years; mustered
in August 8, 1861 ; taken prisoner at the battle
of Ball's Blufl; Va., October 21, 1861, and con-
fined at Mayo's tobacco-factory, Richmond, about
three weeks, at Belle Island about six weeks, at
Salisbury, N. C, about five months; transferred
to Second United States Cavalry December 27,
1862 ; captured again near Winchester, Va., Au-
gust 16, 1864, and confined, most of the time, at
Salisbury, N. C, till February 22, 1865.

Roswell Butler, private, Company E, Sixth New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
November 28, 1861; discharged June 16, 1862;
discharged for disability.

John PI. Butler, private, Company A, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry; three years; mus-
tered in September 22, 1862 ; discharged July 8,
1865.

Richard T. Cobb, private, Company B, Twelfth Mass-
achusetts Infantry; three years; enlisted April
23, 1861 ; discharged July 8, 1864 ; wounded in
the chin : taken prisoner at the battle of Gettys-
burg July 1, 1863, and confined at Belle Island,
near Richmond, Va., till March 8, 1864.

Warren Colburn, private, Eleventh Vermont In-
fantry; three years; enlisted October, 1863;
taken prisoner and died in the Rebel prison at
Andersonville, Ga., October 4, 1864.

Julius C. Converse, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry; three years; mus-
tered in December 29. 1863 ; discharged July 8,
1865.

Nelson S. Crouch, private, Company F, First New
Hampshire Cavalry ; one year ; mustered in
February 28, 1865 ; discharged July 15, 1865.

Calvin G. Darling, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry; three years; mus-
tered in Sept. 23, 1862; discharged July 8, 1865.

Murray Davis, private, Company F, Fourteenth New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
December 29, 1863; discharged July 18, 1865;
wounded in the left leg at the battle of Win-
chester (or 02>equan Creek), Va., September 19,
1864; leg amputated.

Noyes J. Davis, private, Company H, Second Regi-
ment Berdan's Sharpshooters; three years; en-
listed December 28, 1861; served three years,
transferred to Invalid Corps September 30, 1863 ;
wounded in the right wrist at the battle of
Chancellorsville, Va.

George P. Eddy, private, Company A, Second New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
May 31,1861; discharged November 9, 1862;
discharged from Second New Hampshire Infantry
for disability; re-enlisted in Second Massachu-
setts Artillery August 7, 1863 ; discharged Au-
gust 9, 1865.

John M. Farnum, private, Company F, Sixth New
Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mustered in
December 29, 1863; discharged January 25, 1865;
discharged for disability.

Charles M. Farr, private, Company A, Second New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
May 31, 1861; discharged October 23, 1862;
first discharge for disability ; re-enlisted for the
town of Newport, and was mustered in Company
C, First New Hampshire Cavalry, April 11,
1864 ; mustered out as first sergeant July 15,
1865.

Charles R. Farr, private, Company F, First Vermont
Cavalry ; three years; mustered in November 19,
1861 ; discharged November 18, 1864 ; promoted
to commissary sergeant October 29, 1862.

Ransom C. Farr, private, Company F, First Vermont
Cavalry ; three years ; mustered in November 19,
1861; discharged December 19, 1862; first dis-
charge for disability ; drafted and mustered in
Company G, First New Hampshire Cavalry,
July 21, 1864; promoted to sergeant; discharged
July 15, 1865.

Bradford C. Farr, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mus-
tered in September 23, 1862 ; discharged Febru-
ary 4, 1863; discharged for disability.

Wesley 0. Farr, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mus-
tered in September 23, 1862 ; discharged Janu-
ary 20, 1865 ; discharged for disability ; promoted
to corporal February 1, 1864.

Larkin D. Farr, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry; three years; mus-
tered in Dec. 29, 1863 ; discharged July 8, 1865.

Chancey S. Farr, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mus-
tered in December 29, 1863 ; discharged July 26,
1865; captured at the battle of Cedar Creek,
Va., October 19, 1864, and confined in the "prison
pen" at Salisbury, N. C, from November 4th
following till February 20, 1865.

Stephen P. Faulkner, private, Company C, Eight-
eenth New Hampshire Infantry; one year;
mustered in August 31, 1864; discharged June,
1865.

CHESTERFIELD.

147

James C. Field, private, Company C, Seventeenth
United States Infantry ; three years ; enlisted
September 16, 1861 ; discharged January 20,
1863 ; discharged for disability.

Francis A. Field, private, Seventeenth United States
Infantry ; three years ; enlisted September 16,
1861.

Harrison F. Fisk, private, Company E, Sixth New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
November 28, 1861 ; discharged August 25, 1862;
discharged for disability.

Oscar T. Frink, private, Company E, Second New
Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mustered in
September 17, 1861.

Calvin P. Gilson, musician, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry; three years; mus-
tered in September 23, 1862 ; discharged July 8,
1865.

Walter W. Glazier, private, Company C, Eighteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; one year ; mustered
in August 31, 1864 ; discharged May 30, 1865.

James H. Goodrich (2d), private, Company F, First
New Hampshire Cavalry; one year; mustered
in March 8, 1865; discharged July 15, 1865.

John F. Goodrich, private, Company A, Fourteenth
United States Infantry ; three years ; mustered
in September, 1864; served three years.

John H. Goodwin, first sergeant, Company F, Four-
teenth New Hampshire Infantry; three years;
mustered in September 23, 1862; discharged
July 8, 1865; promoted to second lieutenant
February 17, 1865.

Charles L. Harvey, private, Company F, Second
New Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mus-
tered in September 2, 1861 ; discharged Novem-
ber 29, 1862 ; discharged for disability.

Foster W. Hastings, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mus-
tered in September 23, 1862 ; discharged July 8,
1865; promoted to corporal November 1, 1864.

Herbert R. Hastings, private, Company F, Four-
teenth New Hampshire Infantry; three years;
mustered in September 23, 1862 ; discharged
August 13, 1863; discharged for disability.

Eugene F. Hastings, corporal, Company A, Four-
teenth New Hampshire Infantry ; three years ;
mustered in September 22, 1862; discharged July
8, 1865.

Hubbard W. Henry, private, Company F, Four-
teenth New Hampshire Infantry; three years;
mustered in September 23, 1862 ; died of disease
at Alexandria, Va., February 7, 1864.
Dwight L. Herrick, private, Company C, Eighteenth

New Hampshire Infantry ; one year ; mustered
in August 31, 1864 ; discharged June 10, 1865 ;
promoted to corporal.

Sidney B. Higgins, private, Company E, Sixth New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
November or December, 1861 ; first discharge for
disability ; re-enlisted, and was mustered as ser-
geant in the same company and regiment De-
cember 24, 1863 ; promoted to first lieutenant
March 6, 1865 ; discharged July 17, 1865 ;
wounded October 1, 1864.

John W. Hildreth, private, Company E, Sixth New
Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mustered in
November 28, 1861 ; discharged September 29,

1862 ; discharged for disability.

George L. Hildreth, private, Company E, Sixth New
Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mustered in
December 7, 1861 ; discharged July, 1862 ; dis-
charged for disability.

Taylor E. Hill, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mus-
tered in September 23, 1862 ; discharged July 8,
1865.

Frank J. Holt, private, Company A, Eighteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; one year ; mustered
in September 13, 1864; discharged June 10,
1865.

Joseph Holt, private, Company F, Eighteenth New
Hamjjshire Infantry ; one year ; mustered in
October 28, 1864; discharged May 18, 1865.

George Hopkins, enlisted in various organizations.

Wayland N. Hosley, private, Company F, Fourth
Vermont Infantry; three years; enlisted Sep-
tember 2, 1861 ; discharged September 21, 1864 ;
transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps November
15, 1863.

Henry H. Howe, sergeant, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mustered
in September 23, 1862; discharged July 8, 1865.

Barton Howe, Jr., private, Company C, Eighteenth
New Hampshire Infantry; one year ; mustered
in August 31, 1864 ; discharged June 10, 1865.

Robert Jackson, private, Seventh Connecticut Infan-
try ; mustered in September, 1864 ; wounded in
the mouth.

Charles B. Lewis, private, Company C, Seventeenth
United States Infantry ; three years ; enlisted
September 17, 1861; discharged January 21,

1863 ; first discharge for disability; re-enlisted,
and was mustered, for one year, as corporal in
Company E, Eighteenth New Hampshire Infan-
try, September 26, 1864; promoted to sergeant
June 1, 1865; discharged June 10, 1865.

148

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Reuben A. Lewis, private, Company A, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; one year; mustered
in September 20, 18(54; discharged July 8, 1865.
Lucian O. Lincoln, corporal, Company F, Fifth New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
October 23, 1861 ; discharged July 7, 1862 ; first
discharge for disability ; re-enlisted, and was
mustered, for three years, in Company F, Four-
teenth New Hampshire Infantry, October 2,
1862 ; discharged July 8, 1865.
Horace S. Lincoln, private, Company F, Eleventh
New Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; muster-
ed in July 28, 1864; discharged July 17, 1865;
transferred to Company F, Sixth New Hamp-
shire Infantry, June 1, 1865.
James M. Martin, private, Company D, Second New
Hampshire Infantry ; three years; mustered in
September 17, 1861 ; died of disease at Harrison's
Landing, Va., August 11, 1862.
Henry J. McClenning, private.Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry; three years; muster-
ed in September 23, 1862; died of disease at
Washington, D. C, August 7, 1863.
J. Milo Richardson, Fourteenth New Hampshire
Infantry ; did not leave the State ; soon discharged
for disability.
Daniel E. Robbins, private, Company F, Sixth New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
Novemher 28, 1861; served three years; re-en-
listed as a veteran, and was mustered in the same
company and regiment, January 4, 1864 ; dis-
charged July 17, 1865; severely wounded in the
head at the battle of Cold Harbor, Va., June 3,
1864.
Otis Safford, private, Company K, Second New
Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mustered in
September 2, 1861 ; discharged July, 1864 ; re-
enlisted and was mustered for one year in Com-
pany F, First New Hampshire Cavalry, February
28, 1865 ; discharged July 15, 1865 ; wounded in
the right leg at the second battle of Bull Run,
Va.
Norman D. Safford, private, Company E, Fifth New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
November 28, 1861 ; discharged October 6, 1862;
first discharge for disability; re-enlisted and was
mustered for one year as sergeant in Company
E, Eighteenth New Hampshire Infantry, Sep-
tember 24, 1864 ; promoted to first sergeant
April, 1865; discharged June 10, 1865.
Leavitt W. Safford, private, Company F, First New
Hampshire Cavalry; one year; mustered in
March 16, L865 ; discharged July 15, 1865.

Otis H. Scott, private, Company F, Fifth New Hamp-
shire Infantry ; three years ; mustered in October
23, 1861; discharged December 22, 1862; dis-
charged for disability.

George D. Scott, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry; three years ; mustered
in September 23, 1862; discharged July 8, 1865.

Henry Herbert Snow, private, Company F, Four-
teenth New Hampshire Infantry; three years;
mustered in September 23, 1862; discharged May
25, 1863 ; discharged for disability.

James S. Stoddard, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; three years; mustered
in September 23, 1862; discharged July 8, 1865;
promoted to corporal September 26, 1863; to
sergeant, February 12, 1864; at the battle <>t
Winchester, Va., he was hit five or six times in
different parts of his person and clothing, one
bullet entering his mouth and knocking out
several teeth.

Edwin H. Streeter, private, Company I, Ninth New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
August 15, 1862 ; discharged June 10, 1865 ; pro-
moted to corporal March 1, 1865.

Albert W. Streeter, private, Company I, Ninth New
Hampshire Infantry ; three years ; mustered in
August 15, 1862; died of disease at Falmouth,
Va., February 6, 1863.

Herbert N. Streeter (brother of Albert W.), private,
Company I, Ninth New Hampshire Infantry;
three years ; mustered in August 22, 1862 ; died
of disease at Falmouth, Va., February 7, 1863 ;
wounded in the hand at the battle of South
Mountain, Md.

Marshall S. Streeter, private, Company F, Fourteenth
New Hampshire Infantry ; three years; mustered
in September 23, 1862 ; wounded in the left leg
at the battle of Winchester, Va., September 19,
1864, and died from the effects of the wound at
Baltimore Hospital, October 9th, the same year.

Herbert B. Titus, Company A, Second New Hamp-
shire Infantry; three years; discharged June 10,
1865; commissioned second lieutenant June 4,
1861 ; first lieutenant, August, 1861, and assigned
to Company F; promoted to major of the Ninth
New Hampshire Infantry June 14,1862; com-
missioned colonel of the same regiment Novem-
ber 22, 1862; discharged September 27, 1864, but
reinstated by Special Orders No. 377, par. 18, War
Department, November 1, 1864; at the battle Of
Antietam, Md., September 17, 1862, he was
severely wounded in the right shoulder ; March
15,1865, he was appointed brigadier-general by

CHESTERFIELD.

149

brevet, "for gallant and meritorious services
during the war.''

David B. Tyrrel, private, Company A, Second New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
August 24, 1861 ; discharged August 24, 1864.

Everett C. Tyrrel, private, Company D, Second New
Hampshire Infantry; three years; mustered in
September, 1861; discharged May, 1863; dis-
charged for disability.

David S. Walton, Jr., private, Company I, First Ber-
dan's United States Sharpshooters ; three years ;
enlisted September 11, 1861 ; discharged Decem-
ber 10, 1862 ; discharged for disability.

Lyman H. Warren, private, Seventeenth United States
Infantry; three years; enlisted September 16,
1861; appointed second lieutenant October 13,
1862 ; brevetted captain July 2, 1863; appointed
captain October 25, 1865 ; slightly wounded in
one of his feet at the battle of Chancellorsville,
Va. ; died at Houston, Tex., September 18, 1867.

Alonzo W. Wheeler, private, Company F, First New
Hampshire Cavalry ; one year ; mustered in
March 8, 1865 ; discharged July 15, 1865.

Of the seventy-four men whose names have
been given above, none were killed in battle ;
one died from the effects of a wound received
in battle ; eleven were wounded and survived ;
six died of disease.

The amount of the bounties paid by the town
during the war was twenty-four thousand six
hundred dollars.

Twelve persons were drafted and paid a com-
mutation of three hundred dollars each, and
twenty-seven furnished substitutes at an expense
of from one hundred to four hundred dollars
each.

Increase and Decrease of Popula-
tion.— A census taken by order of the provin-
cial government in the year 1767 shows that
Chesterfield then had 365 inhabitants. In 1773
the number of inhabitants was 747, of whom
400 were males. In September, 1775, the
selectmen made an enumeration of the inhabit-
ants of the town and found the number to be,
including 36 men absent in the army, 874.
Of this number, 462 were males. No slaves
were returned in these early censuses.

During the War of the Revolution many

families came into the town from Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and Connecticut. By the year
1786 the number of inhabitants had reached
1535, notwithstanding the unsettled state of
affairs that existed in the town during the Revo-
lutionary period.

The number of inhabitants of the town in
every tenth year since 1790 (inclusive) has been
as follows :

1790, 1905; 1800, 2161 ; 1810, 1839; 1820,
2110; 1830,2046; 1840, 1765; 1850,1680;
1860, 1434; 1870, 1289 ; 1880, 1173.

The District Schools. — The schools are
mentioned for the first time, in the records of
the town, in the warrant for a town-meeting
held the second Tuesday in June, 1767. At
that time the town had not been divided into
school-wards, or districts, and what few schools
there were, were taught in private houses. The
sum of money raised for school purposes in
1767 (if any) was not recorded; but at the
annual town- meeting in 1771 it was voted to
raise fifteen pounds for the support of schools.
From 1771 to 1779 the amount raised annually
seems at no time to have exceeded fifty pounds.
During the next five years the town was in a
more or less disturbed condition, and little or
no money appears to have been raised for the
support of schools. In 1776 the town was
divided into several school-wards, and each
ward allowed to employ an instructor ; but it
was not till 1787 that the town was divided
into any considerable number of wards, nine-
teen of them having been established that year.
Frequent changes were made in the lines of
these wards previous to 1815, about which time
the term " district " was adopted in the place of
" ward."

When or where the first school-house was
built in Chesterfield has not been ascertained.
It is doubtful if one was built before 1785.
The oldest school-houses now standing appear
to have been erected between 1800 and 1812.
The one in District No. 7 is known to have
been built about 1810. Before the building of

150

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

school-houses the schools were taught, as already
stated, iu private houses. At one time, near
the beginning of the present century, the school
in District No. 7 (the Hardscrabble District)
was kept in Gibson Willard's barn. Many of
the schools were much larger in the first quarter
of this century than at present ; some of them,
it is said, had nearly one hundred scholars each.
Id the winter of 1810-17 the little school-house
in the district last mentioned is said, on good
authority, to have been occupied by at least
eightv pupils. The number of scholars in the
district is now about fifteen. The largest dis-
trict in the town, No. 13 (which includes Ches-
terfield Factory), has at present about sixty
scholars ; the next largest, No. 1 (which in-
cludes West Chesterfield), has about thirty-five.
'Hie average number of scholars attending
school each year previous to 1847 has not been
ascertained. Since that date the number for
each fifth year has been as follows:

1847, 438 ; 1852, 342 (?) ; 1857, 430 ; 1862,
355; 1867, 300; 1872, 265; 1877, 225. The
number of scholars enrolled in 1883 was 218.
The amount of money raised yearly by tax-
ation for the support of schools was, from 1785
to 1798, usually one hundred pounds; from
the latter date to 1805, four hundred dollars.
From 1805 to 1847 the amount raised annually
appears to have varied from four hundred and
forty dollars to eight hundred dollars; from
1847 to the present time it has been from eight
hundred dollars to fifteen hundred dollars.
Since 1829 each district has received annually
a portion of the "literary fund," this town's
share of which, for a number of years, has aver-
aged not far from one hundred dollars. The
greatest number of districts in which schools
have been maintained since 1817 has been,
apparently, sixteen ; at present the number is
thirteen or fourteen.

Chesterfield Academy. — On the 12th
day of January, 1790, the New Hampshire
Legislature passed an act entitled " An Act to
incorporate an Academy in the Town of Ches-

terfield, by the name of the Chesterfield Acade-
my." In the preamble of this act it is stated that
" the education of youth has ever been con-
sidered by the wise and good as an object of
the highest consequence to the safety and happi-
ness of a People ; " also, that " Peter Stone, of
Chesterfield, gentleman, and sundry other per-
sons, have voluntarily contributed certain sums
of money for the purpose of establishing and
supporting a public school, or academy, in said
Chesterfield."

The first section of the act sets forth the
object of the academy, namely, "the promoting
piety and virtue, and the instruction of youth
in such branches of useful Literature as the
trustees hereby appointed shall think proper to
direct." The same section also empowered
Rev. Abraham Wood, Solomon Harvey, phy-
sician, Moses Smith, Esq., Silas Richardson,
Zur Evans, Simon Willard and Abner John-
son, gentlemen, all of Chesterfield, to act as
trustees. The third section provided that
" Abraham Wood and other trustees, as afore-
said, and the longest livers and survivors of
them, and their successors, be the true and sole
visitors, trustees and governors of the said
Academy, in perpetual succession forever."
The fourth section fixed the number of trustees
at not less than seven, nor more than eleven,
and provided that the major part of them should
be "laymen and respectable freeholders." In
the sixth section provisions were made for
the holding, by the trustees, of real and personal
estate, provided the annual income from the real
estate should not exceed five hundred pounds,
and that from the personal estate should not
exceed two thousand pounds, " both sums to
be valued in silver, at the rate of sis shillings
and eight-pence by the ounce."

It was enacted by the eighth, and last, section
that all estate, both personal and real, held within
this State for the use of the academy, should be
exempt from taxation; and that students of the
academy should also be exempt from paying
poll-tax.

CHESTERFIELD.

151

It has usually been stated that the academy
was not opened till August 14, 1794, but the
records of the institution show that this state-
ment is, in all probability, incorrect. August
31, 1791, the trustees voted to hire Sheldon Lo-
gan " to instruct in the academy for the term of
one year," and to give him eighty pounds for
his services. July 4, 1792, they voted that the
afternoon of every Wednesday, for the rest of
the year, should be "a vacation." There could
be no reason for passing the latter vote if the
school was not already in operation.

The date of the erection of the academy
building cannot be ascertained, but it is certain
that the petitioners for the incorporation of the
academy, in their petition to the Legislature,
stated that a sufficient sum of money had al-
ready been raised " to erect a house of suffi-
cient bigness in the town of Chesterfield, in
which a Seminary may be kept, etc." The
town also voted, May 6, 1790, to allow the
trustees of the academy to put a building on
the common for the use of the school. Whether
the academy building was completed before
August, 1794 (the school, in the mean time,
being kept in some other house), cannot now
be determined with certainty.

For many years after its incorporation
the academy had the reputation of being one of
the best schools in the State, ranking second, it
is said, to Phillips Academy, at Exeter. It
was attended by students from all the neigh-
boring towns, and some came from remoter
places, even from the Southern States. Many
of those who sought instruction at this insti-
tution became, later in life, eminent in the var-
ious trades and professions.

It was a common practice, in the earlier
years of the academy, for the trustees to grant
the use of the academy building, and sometimes
other property, to certain persons styled "adven-
turers," on condition that they should employ
an instructor and keep the school in operation.
It seems that the property held by the trustees
for the benefit of the academy never produced

an income sufficient for its support ; and some-
times this income and the tuition fees together
amounted to less than the expenses. The prop-
erty held by the trustees seems to have consisted
almost wholly of real estate. This included,
about the year 1800, a part, if not all, of the
glebe-land, in the southeastern quarter of the
town.

In 1808 the Legislature passed an act grant-
ing to the trustees the privilege of raising
money by lottery for the benefit of the school.
Elijah Dunbar, Benjamin Cook, John Putnam
and Phineas Handerson were chosen managers
of this lottery ; but the records of the academy
do not show how much money was obtained in
this way. The sum allowed by the act of the
Legislature to be raised was five thousand dol-
lars ; but probably only a small part of this
sum was ever actually obtained. The act was
extended, however, by the Legislature in 1814.

The number of "adventurers1' for the year
last mentioned was one hundred, and the defi-
ciency to be made up by them amounted to
eighty-eight dollars- and sixty-seven cents.

September 11, 1818, the trustees voted "that
Captain Benjamin Cook sell to the highest bid-
der the privilege of selling liquor on the com-
mon on exhibition day, and that the money so
raised be applied to building the stage and
paying Mr. Hardy a balance of about nine dol-
lars due him for arrearages of board for the
last year."

The exhibitions that were given by the stu-
dents of the academy during the period of its
greatest prosperity were notable incidents in
the history of the school, and even of the town.
It was a part of the by-laws of the institution
that no student should take part in these exhi-
bitions until he had been a member of the
school at least twelve weeks, unless he had had
previous instruction in the art of declaiming
under a competent teacher ; and all students to
whom parts were assigned, in any public exhi-
bition, were obliged to make careful preparation

in order to perform their parts accurately and

152

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

preserve the reputation of the Academy."
The names of all the preceptors of the acad-
emy from its incorporation till 1847 have not
been obtained ; but some of them were as fol-
lows :

Sheldon Logan was, perhaps, preceptor 1791
-94. It is certain that he was engaged by
the trustees lor one year, beginning August 14,
1794, at a salary of one hundred pounds.

John Noyes was preceptor two years, com-
mencing his duties September 1, 1795. He was
a graduate of Dartmouth College and at one
time represented the Southern District of Ver-
mont in the Congress of the United States.

Broughton Wright (?) was preceptor one year
from August or September, 1797.

Levi Jackson, of Chesterfield, was preceptor
1799-1805. (See Biographical Notices.)

Daniel Hardy taught at least one year, begin-
ning in the autumn of 1805.

Isaac Fletcher, a student of Dartmouth Col-
lege, was preceptor in 1808. He married, in
181:2, Abigail, daughter of Peter Stone, Sr., of
this town, and afterwards practiced law at Lyn-
don, Vt.

Jonathan llartwell was preceptor in 1809.

Asa Keyes was preceptor two years from
April 16, 1810. He was a graduate of Dart-
mouth College and became a distinguished law-
yer. He died in Brattleborough, Vt., June 4,
1880, at the great age of ninety-three years. His
wife was Sarah, daughter of Asa Britton, Esq.,
of Chesterfield.

McConihe appears to have taught six

months in 1812.

Otis Ilutchins, of Westmoreland, was pre-
ceptor two years at least, commencing in the
autumn of L812. He was again engaged in
the spring of 1820 for the term of three years.
His salary was to be raised in part by subscrip-
tions, which could be paid in cloth, provisions,
wood, etc. He died in Westmoreland October
(5, 1866.

Elisha S. Plumb was preceptor 1815-16.

Thomas Hardy was preceptor 1817-19. He

was again engaged to teach in 1834 for the
term of ten years, and was to receive as salary
all the tuition fees. He was also to have the
privilege of selling books and stationery to the
students. The trustees also agreed to provide
twenty-five days' work each year for Mr. Har-
dy's form. He was released from his engage-
ment, at his own request, February 6, 1838.

Mr. Hardy was one of the most efficient and
respected teachers ever connected with the acad-
emy. He was a graduate of Dartmouth Col-
lege and spent many years in teaching. The
entire number of persons under his instruction
during his career as a teacher was six thousand
seven hundred. He died March 3, 1864.

George Freeman was preceptor three months
in 1822; Rev. John Walker, six months or
more in 1823 ; John Chamberlain in 182 I.

Josiah "W. Fairfield was preceptor 1824-26.
He was a native of New Boston, this State, and
graduated at Dartmouth College in 1827. He
married Laura, daughter of Asa Britton, Esq.,
of this town, in 1829, and settled in Hudson,
N. Y., where he died, December 3, 1878.

Edward P. Harris was preceptor 1827-28;
Oliver M. Smith, 1830 ; James W. Emery,
1831.

Charles L. Strong was preceptor 1832-33,
and again in 1841-44. Mr. Strong was a grad-
uate of Amherst College and was a teacher by
profession. He married, in 1843, Prusha,
daughter of Ashbel Wheeler, Sr., of Chester-
field, and died in this town August 2, 1S47.

John E. Butler, of Jamaica, Vt., was an as-
sistant teacher in 1833. He afterwards became
a distinguished lawyer in the State of Vermont.

Samuel H. Price was preceptor 1838-39 ;
Nathan Kendall, 1845-47.

Since 1850 the academy has not been in a
flourishing condition and for several years has
been closed.

The original academy building stood on the
southeastern part of the common, at the Centre
village, a few rods from the old meeting-house.

It was a two-story structure surmounted by

CHESTERFIELD.

153

a belfry, in which, however, there was no bell.
April 9, 1859, it was burned to the ground. A
new building was erected the same year, having
nearly the same location, by School District No.
5 and the trustees of the academy, conjointly,
on condition that the same should be used both
for the district school and a High School or
academy.

The Churches. — The First Congregational
Church of Chesterfield was probably orgauized
in 1771, but it is evident that a site had been
selected for a meeting-house, on the common,
as early as 1767 ; for, in the record of the ac-
ceptance of a new road by the town that year,
mention is made of the " meeting-house place."
April 24, 1770, the town voted to raise one
hundred pounds, to cover the meeting-house
frame, that had already been erected. June 8,
1772, it was voted by the town to take seventy-
live pounds of the money appropriated for the
highways and use it in finishing the outside of
the meeting-house. This building stood on the
common, at the Centre village, about thirty-five
feet south of the site of the present town-house,
and was about sixty feet long and forty-five
feet wide. It was two stories high, with two
rows of windows, and originally had a porch
on each end.

The west porch, however, was removed in
accordance with a vote passed by the town in
1815, and a projecting bell-tower built in
place of it. The bell in this tower was rung
on week-days at noon and at nine o'clock in
the evening. All the town-meetings were
held in this house from September, 1771, till it
was burned down by an incendiary fire, March
1, 1851. It was also used by the students of
Chesterfield Academy for their public exhibi-
tions. The present Congregational meeting-
house was occupied, for the first time, in No-
vember, 1834.

The first settled minister in Chesterfield was
Abraham Wood (see Biographical Notices), who
came from Sudbury, Mass., at the age of about
twenty-four years, and was ordained pastor of

the First Congregational Church December 31,
1772. For half a century Mr. Wood was the
sole pastor of this church. Before Mr. Wood
came to Chesterfield, John Eliot preached for
a while " on probation ; " but, for reasons which
he did not see fit to make public, he declined an
invitation to become the settled pastor of the
Congregational Church in this town. After
Mr. Eliot's declination the town voted (Octo-
ber 12, 1772) to invite Mr. Wood to be their
pastor, which invitation was accepted by him
in a letter dated November 17, 1772.

At a special town-meeting held the 7th day
of the following December, preparations were
made for the ordination of Mr. Wood. It was
voted, —

"1. That Thursday, the 31st day of the same
month, should be the day on which the ordination
was to take place.

" 2. That Elisha Rockwood should have £8 for pro-
viding and entertaining with victuals, drink, lodgings
and horse-keeping the whole of the council of minis-
ters, delegates and other gentlemen of distinction.

" 3. That the sum of £9 should be raised to defray
any expenses arising from the ordination.

" 4. That the town concur with the vote of the
church, to send invitations to other churches to assist
in the ordination.

" 5. That the window-caps of the meeting-house
should be of straight, solid wood, with cornice on the
front.

" 6. That two or three Sabbaths a year should be
granted to Mr. Wood, to enable him to visit his
friends, so long as he should be the pastor of the
church."

For the first nineteen years of his ministry Mr.
Wood received an annual salary of sixty-five
pounds, which sum was raised to eighty pounds
in 1792. From 1800 to 1822 the average sum
raised yearly by taxation, for the support of
preaching, was about two hundred and seventy-
five dollars. After the latter date no taxes were
assessed for the support of religious instruction.
In the year 1800 the names of forty-seven tax-
payers were recorded in the town records as being
persons who Avere members of the "Universal
Restoration Society," and consequently ex-

154

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

empted (by the Bill of Rights) from paying min-
ister rates. In 1802 the names of thirty-one
tax-] layers were recorded as being members of
the " Republican Society," and, therefore, " not
holden by law to pay taxes for the support of
Congregational ministers."

Mr. Wood having become, a few months be-
fore his death, unable to attend to his pastoral
duties, Rev. John Walker was installed as col-
league pastor April 30, 1823. Mr. Wood re-
tained his ministry, however, till he died, Octo-
ber 18, 1823. During his pastorate three
hundred and twenty-four persons united with
the church, either by profession or by letter,
including; those who were members when he
was ordained. The number of persons bap-
tized was seven hundred and sixty-five. At
the date of Mr. Walker's installation as col-
league pastor the church had one hundred and
thirteen members, and eight more were admitted
during the year.

Besides Rev. Abraham Wood, this church
has had the following pastors : Rev. John
Walker, from April 30, 1823, to April 22,
1829 ; Rev. Elihu Smith, May 23, 1832, to
December 2, 1834; Rev. Josiah Ballard, Au-
gust 5, 1835, till the following spring ; Rev.
Hosea Becklev, 1836-42; Rev. Benjamin E.
Hale, August 31, 1842, to November 11, 1847 5
Rev. Ebenezer Newhall, July 23, 1852, to July
2, 1854; Rev. Jeffries Hall, April, 1858, to
April, I860; Rev. Albert E. Hall, November,
1SS2, to the present time.

The <l I 'nil-,, sal Restoration Society " was or-
ganized as early as 1798, and perhaps earlier.
The annual meetings for the election of officers
were regularly held for many years before the
society was incorporated ; but services seem to
have been held only occasionally. In June,
1818, fifty-five members of the society peti-
tioned the Legislature for an act of incorpora-
tion. The petition was granted, and an act
passed incorporating Oliver Baker, Stephen
Streeter and Jonathan Cochran, with their as-
sociates and successors, into a society to be

known as the " Universal Restoration Society."
Previous to 1830 the Universalists held their
meetings for worship, for the most part, in
school-houses and private dwellings ; for the
town would not vote to allow them the use of
the meeting-house at the Centre village, for any
purpose whatever, till 1816, when they were
permitted to hold a convention in it. January
2, 1830, it was voted by the town to grant the
use of the meeting-house to the Universalists,
every alternate Sunday, for one year. The
same year, however, the house now occupied by
them, at the West village, was built.

The names of very few of the Universal ist
preachers who preached in Chesterfield before
1830 are now known. January 2, 1822, it
was voted by the society to hire Robert Bart-
lett, of Langdon, to preach on five Sundays
during the year, provided he could be engaged
for five dollars per Sunday.

In 1823-26 the society appears to have had
preaching only four Sabbaths each year.

In April, 1828, arrangements were made to
engage Rev. William S. Balch to preach every
fourth Sunday during the year ensuing, if he
could be engaged for eighty dollars. Since
1830 the Universalists of Chesterfield have
usually held services in the meeting-house at
the West village every alternate Sabbath, em-
ploying a pastor in connection with societies in
Winchester, Westmoreland, and Putney, Yt.
The pastors of the Universalist Society have
been, since 1830, as nearly as can be ascertained,
as follows :

Rev. Philemon R. Russell, about two years,
between 1830 and 1835; Rev. Stephen A.
Barnard (Unitarian), 1835-37 ; Rev. Charles
Woodhouse, 1838-41 and again in 1843; Rev.
William N. Barber, for a while between 1841
and 1843 ; Rev. Josiah Marvin, 1844-45 ; Rev.
Edwin H. Lake, from about 1851-54 ; Rev.
Hymen B. Butler, 1854-56 ; Rev. Sullivan II.
M'Collester, 1857-62 ; Rev. ( Miver G. Wood-
bury, 1 8(52-70 ; Rev. Joseph Barber, 1871-77 ;
Rev. Hiram B. Morgan, 1878-81 ; Rev. Ed-

CHESTERFIELD.

155

ward Smiley, 1882-84; Rev. Winfield S. Wil-
liams, 1884-5.

Baptist Church. — No records of the Baptist
Church of Chesterfield have been found, but
it is known that Nathan Worden, a preacher of
this denomination, settled in the town as early
as 1787, and in 1819 a society was incorporated
under the name of the " First Baptist Church."
Several persons of the Baptist persuasion had
an interest in the church built by the Univer-
salists in 1830, and for a few years held ser-
vices in it. This society has been extinct for
many years.

Methodist Episcopal Church. — The organiza-
tion of the present Methodist Episcopal Society
of Chesterfield dates from June 18, 1842.

It is said that Jesse Lee visited the town as
early as 1793, and from that time to the present
it has been a " preaching-place." In 1796 the
first circuit in New Hampshire was formed,
called the " Chesterfield Circuit," and which
had only sixty-eight members.

The names of but few of the early Methodist
preachers in this town are now known.

Rev. Jonathan Nichols, of Thompson, Conn.,
preached here at an early period, and Rev.
Martin Rutter is said to have preached his first
sermon in James Robertson's house (now owned
and occupied by his grandson, Timothy N.
Robertson). One of the earliest Methodist
preachers at Factory village is said to have
been a Rev. Mr. House.

In 1844 the Methodists built a meeting-
house at the Centre village. Before that time
they worshiped in private houses, school-
houses and sometimes in the old Congregational
meeting-house. Since 1839 the pastors of this
society, as far as ascertained, have been as fol-
lows : Rev. C. L. McCurdy, 1839-40 ; Rev.
Alonzo Webster, 1842-43 ; Rev. C. Holman,
1848; Rev. D. P. Leavitt, 1852; Rev. E.
Adams, 1853; Rev. J. Hayes, 1854-55; Rev.
A. K. Howard, 1856-57 ; Rev. J. P. Stinch-
field, 1858-59; Rev. N. Green, 1860; Rev.
Thomas L. Fowler, 1861-67; Rev. W. H.

Cummings, 1869 ; Rev. James H. Copp, 1870 ;
Rev. N. Fisk, 1871 ; Rev. Andrew L. Ken-
dall, 1872-75; Rev. Edward P. F. Dearborn,
1875-77; Rev. John A. Parker, 1877; Rev.
William W. Le Seur, 1878-81 ; Rev. Julius
M. Buffum, 1881-82; Rev. Thomas L. Fow-
ler, at the present time.

A Unitarian Church was organized in Ches-
terfield about 1834, and existed a few years. It
was composed, in part, of persons who had
withdrawn from the Congregational Society.
Rev. Stephen A. Barnard was pastor of this
church in 1835, '36 and '37, preaching every
alternate Sunday in the old meeting-house at
the Centre village. As already stated, he also
preached for the Uuiversalists at the West vil-
lage during the same years.

The meeting-house at Factory village was
erected in 1853. It is a " union " house (so-
called), the expense of building which was de-
frayed by the sale of pews, which were pur-
chased by Congregationalists, Methodists and
Universalists, on condition that each denomina-
tion represented should have the privilege of
using the house to a certain extent. For a
number of years the Methodists have alter-
nately held their services in this house and in
their church at the Centre village.

Manufactures. — The manufacture of any
kind of goods or wares has never been carried
on very extensively in Chesterfield ; yet consi-
derable manufacturing has been done in the
eastern part of the town, and a less amount in
the western. In December, 1805, Ebenezer
Stearns, Moses Smith, Ebenezer Cheney and
seventeen others were incorporated into a com-
pany called the Chesterfield Manufactory, for
the purpose of manufacturing "cotton yarn,
cloth and woolens."

At the June session of the Legislature in
1809 an additional act was passed empowering
the corporation to raise the sum of fifty thou-
sand dollars, to be employed as should be
thought proper. It appears that the shares
were fixed at one hundred dollars each, and that

156

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Ebenezer Stearns held, in 1809, ten thousand
dollars' worth of the stock ; the rest of the
shareholders, of whom there were about twenty,
held from five to fifty shares each.

In 1810 the company erected a factory at
the village, which has ever since been called
" Factory Village," or "Chesterfield Factory,"
the latter being the correct post-office name.
This building, which is one hundred feet long
by thirty feet wide, and two stories high (ex-
clusive of the basement), was built by Presson
Farwell for seven hundred dollars.

For a few years after the factory was built
cotton yarn is said to have been made in it ;
then it was closed for a while. In 1821, Cap-
tain William S. Brooks, who settled in Ches-
terfield that year, was chosen agent of the cor-
poration, and began the manufacture of cotton
shirting. Captain Brooks continued to manage
the affairs ofthe corporation, as agent, till 1839,
when he removed to Brattlcborough ; but he re-
tained his connection with the factory till
1850.

The manufacture of shirting was afterwards
continued in this factory for some time by
Olney Gofi'and by Barton Skinner.

The building was next converted into a
manufactory of doors, window-sashes and blinds
by R. Henry Hopkins and Horace Howe. It
is used for this purpose at present by George
L. Hamilton, who employs ten men.

About 1820 the manufacture of "patent
accelerating spinning-wheel heads" was begun
;it Factory village by Ezekiel P. Pierce, with
whom were associated Asahel Porter and
(ienrge Metcalf. The manufacture of these
articles has since been conducted at that village
by Jonathan S. Hopkins, Elliot P. and Samuel
F. Hopkins, Ezekiel P. Pierce, Jr., Richard
Hopkins, Jr., Sidney S. Campbell, Benjamin
Pierce and Frederick B. Pierce. At one time
duringthei 'ivil War Benjamin Pierce employed
aboul seventy-five hands in this business. Spin-
ning-wheel heads were also made at the West
village for a while, many years ago, by John

Pierce and his sou Alfred, and by Alanson and
Alfred Chamberlain.

In 1834 or 1835 the manufacture of augers,
bits and gimlets was commenced, near the West
village, by Joshua Richardson and Oliver B.
Huggins, with whom appears to have been as-
sociated E. P. Pierce, Sr. After a year or
two they were succeeded by E. P. Pierce, Jr.,
and Charles Cross. Subsequently the business
was carried on for a while, at the same place,
by Pierce, Cross and Alonzo Farr.

In 1836 or 1837 the making of bits, augers,
etc., was begun at Factory village by Richard-
son A: Huggins. Afterwards the same business
was carried on by George Goodrich alone,
and by him and George Atherton for a few-
years.

About 1853, Benjamin Pierce, who had pre-
viously been employed by Richardson & Hug-
gins, commenced the maun fact i ire of bits, etc,
in the same shop, having purchased it of Barton
Skinner. For many years Mr. Pierce con-
ducted the business alone, employing a consid-
erable number of hands, and producing yearly
a large number of bits, angers and other wood-
boring tools. In 1870 his son, Frederick B.
Pierce, began to manufacture the same kind of
goods for his father (who conducted the sales
of the same), having previously been in com-
pany with R. Henry Hopkins for about two years.

In July, 1882, F. B. Pierce was succeeded
in this business by the Currier Brothers (Albert
E. and F. Eugene), who give employment at
present to twenty-three men. Their total pro-
duction amounts to about one hundred and
fifty thousand pieces per annum.

F. B. Pierce is pretty extensively engaged in
the manufacture of brush-handles at factory
village, employing at present about thirty
hands. At the West village Olin R. Farr
makes tables, and prepares stuff for boxes,
brush-handles, etc. Other articles that have
been made in Chesterfield, many years ago,
but not to any great extent, are gunpowder,
scythes, hoes, pegs, etc.

CHESTERFIELD.

157

Charles S. Kendall made pegs a few years in
the building in which E. P. Pierce, Jr., for-
merly manufactured spinning-wheel heads, and
which has been used since 1866 by Ira P. Bux-
ton for the manufacture of pail-staves, shin-
gles, etc.

In 1863, Rev. T. L. Fowler purchased the
building at Factory village which had for-
merly been used many years by Joshua Graves
for a blacksmith's shop, and fitted it up for the
manufacture of clothes-pins, and used it for this
purpose until November, 1868, when he con-
verted it into a saw-mill.

In 1874, Mr. Fowler sold the mill to his son,
Herschel J. Fowler, who engaged in the manu-
facture of pail-staves. The latter afterwards
erected a two-story building close to the old
one, in which he manufactured packing-boxes.
This building is now used by B. F. Pierce in
the manufacture of paint and varnish brush
handles.

About 1815 (probably), David and William
Arnold engaged in tanning hides at the Centre
village.

About 1817 their tannery was bought by
Moses Dudley, who continued the business till
about 1851.

About 1832 Lloyd Stearns and David
Arnold began the same business in the present
tannery building at Factory village. Stearns
removed to Illinois about 1835, when the busi-
ness was continued by Arnold, at first associated
with Nathaniel Walton for a few years, and
then alone. From 1844 to 1865 this tannery
was owned by Sumner Warren, now of Keene,
who carried on a pretty extensive business.

The business was afterwards continued for a
while by Earl Warren, of Westmoreland.

At present there is no tannery in operation in
Chesterfield.

There are now only three grist-mills in the
town, — Bradford C. Farr's, at Factory village,
Prusha W. Strong's and Warren W. Farr's, at
the West village.

The largest saw-mill in Chesterfield was built

by the Steam Mill Company, at the former vil-
lage, in 1872. In 1878 this mill was burned,
but was rebuilt the same year by James H. &
George Goodrich. It has an engine of forty-
five horse-power, and is now owned and run by
James H. Goodrich. The Butlers' steam saw-
mill is located on the upper part of Catsbane
Brook ; O. R. Farr's and W. W. Farr's saw-
mills are at the West village.

Taverns and Hotels. — The earliest tav-
erns were merely private houses situated near
the principal highways, and whose owners
availed themselves of the opportunity to add to
the income derived from their farms by provid-
ing food and lodging for hungry and weary
travelers, and an abundance of spirituous and
fermented drinks for the thirsty.

After a while a law was passed compelling
tavern-keepers and retailers of spirituous liquors
to obtain a license from the selectmen. The
first recorded licenses for this purpose were
granted in 1792, in which year four persons were
licensed as taverners and one to sell spirituous
liquors. It is not at all probable, however, that
one person enjoyed a monopoly of the trade in
strong drink that year.

In 1793 there were only two licensed tavern-
ers, while five persons were licensed to retail
spirits; and in 1794 the number of tavern-keep-
ers was three, the number of retailers of spirits
remaining the same. In 1800 there were seven
licensed tavern-keepers and only two licensed
retailers of liquors.

Among the earliest tavern-keepers were Oli-
ver Cobleigh, Nathaniel Stone, Andrew Hast-
ings, Abraham Stearns, Nathaniel Bingham and
Ebenezer Harvey, Sr.

Ebenezer Harvey's tavern stood on the site
of the late Parker D. Cressey's residence at the
Centre village, and was probably one of the old-
est taverns in the town.

In 1801, Levi Mead came to Chesterfield,
from Lexington, Mass., and lived in the house
now occupied by Roswell Butler, at the Centre
village, which he kept as a tavern. In 1816

158

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

he built at the same village what was known
for many years as the Mead tavern, and which
is now called the Chesterfield Hotel. Since his
death, in 1828, this tavern has had several dif-
ferent owners, among them his sons, Bradley
and Elias. From I860 to 1868 it was owned
and kept by Parker D. Cressey, and since 18 76
it has been owned by Lucius Thatcher.

The present hotel at Factory village, known
as the Spafford House, was built in 1807 by
Elnathan Gorham for a dwelling-house. It
was first used as a tavern by Presson Farwell.
Afterwards it was owned and kept many years
by Samuel Burt, who, in 1867, sold it to San-
ford Guernsey. In 1880, it was purchased of
Mr. Guernsey by Walter J. Wheeler. Its
present proprietor is Alfred L. Proctor.

In 1831, Ezekiel P. Pierce, Sr., built a large
-tone house on the old Pierce homestead, near
the lake, which he kept as a tavern several years.

The tavern which Amos Smith kept near the
river, in the northwestern quarter of the town,
and which was afterwards kept by his son,
George Smith, was frequented by boatmen and
raftsmen in the days when merchandise was
transported up and down the river by means of
boats, and logs were conducted down in rafts.
The same is true of the old Snow tavern, after-
wards the town poor-house.

The Prospect House, situated on an eminence
near the southern shore of Spafford's Lake, of
which it commands a fine view, was built in
1 >7."> by the late John W. Herrick, of Keene.
Since its erection it has been enlarged and other-
wise improved. This hotel is kept open only
during the summer, and is now owned by Hon.
Charles A. Rapallo, of .New York City, one of
the judges of the Court of Appeals for the State
of New York. It has been managed, since
1879, by A. 11. Mason, of Keene.

Post-Offices. — The post-office at the Centre
village (Chesterfield) was established August 12,
1802.

The following persons have been postmasters

at this village :

Ebenezer Harvey, commissioned August 12, 1802.

Asa Britton, commissioned November 16, 1810.

Daniel Waldo, commissioned December 30, 1830.

Warham R. Platts, commissioned October 4, 1833.

Nelson W. Herrick, commissioned August 6, 1841.

Warham R. Platts, commissioned September 11,
1843.

Charles J. Amidon, commissioned May 29, 1849.

Henry O. Coolidge, commissioned April 2, 1851.

Warham R. Platts, commissioned May 20, 1853.

Henry O. Coolidge, commissioned August 10, 1861.

James M. Herrick, commissioned February 27,
1867.

Romanzo C. Cressey, commissioned April 9, 1868.

Murray Davis, commissioned October 24, 1873.

James H. Goodrich (2d), commissioned October 6,
1875.

Sewall F. Rugg, commissioned August 5, 1881.

The post-office at Factory village (Chester-
field Factory) was established January 12, 1828.

The postmasters at this village have been as
follows :

George S. Root, commissioned January 12, 1828.

Horatio N. Chandler, commissioned December 14,
1835.

Samuel Burt, Jr., commissioned July 28, 1838.

Bela Chase, commissioned August 6, 1841.

Samuel Burt, commissioned December 30, 1844.

David W. Beckley, commissioned April 26, 1850.

Samuel Burt, commissioned September 11, 1854.

David W. Beckley, commissioned July 20, 1861.

James C. Farwell, commissioned January 15, 1866.

The post-office at the West village (West
Chesterfield) was established April 17, 18(56, at
which time James H. Ford was commissioned
postmaster. He held the office till November,
1870. Since December 19, 1870, Emory II.
Colburn has been postmaster at this village.

Physicians. — The following are the names
of some of the physicians who have practiced
their profession in Chesterfield lor longer or
shorter periods: Dr. Elkanah Day, 1767 (or

earlier) till ; Dr. Moses Ellis, before 17^7 ;

Dr. Samuel King, 1785 (or earlier) till ;

Dr. Solomon Harvey, about 1770-1821 (or

later); Dr. Barnard, about 1771); Dr.

Joshua Tyler, from between 1776 and 1781
till 1807; Dr. Oliver Atherton, from about 1787
till LSI -1; Dr. Prescott Hall, about 1806; Dr.

CHESTERFIELD.

159

James R. Grow, about 1812 ; Dr. Oliver Baker,
1809-40; Dr. George Farrington, 1814-16;

Dr. Joshua Converse, to 1833 ; Dr. Jason

Farr, several years previous to 1825 ; Dr. Jerry
Lyons, 1814-25; Dr. Philip Hall, a number
of years previous to 1828 ; Dr. Harvey Car-
penter, 1827 or 1828 till 1852; Dr. John P.
Warren, 1842-44; Dr. Algernon Sidney Car-
penter, 1841 ; Dr. John O. French, about ten
years, from 1844 or 1845 ; Dr. John F. But-
ler, 1854 to the present time; Dr. Daniel F.
Randall, 1855 to the present time ; Dr. Willie
G. Cain, August, 1884, to the present time.

Dr. George Farrington died in Chesterfield
July 29, 1816, aged forty-seven years. The fol-
lowing epitaph is inscribed on his gravestone
in the old town burying-ground at the Centre

village :

" Here lies beneath this monument
The dear remains of one who spent

His days and years in doing good ;
Gave ease to those oppress'd with pain ;
Restor'd the sick to Health again,

And purifi'd their wasting blood.
He was respected wbile on Eartb
By all who knew his real worth
In practice and superior skill.
The means he us'd were truly blest —
His wondrous cures do well attest.

Who can his vacant mansion fill ?
Borne on some shining cherub's wing
To his grand master, God and King,

To the grand lodge in Heaven above,
Where angels smile to see him join
His brethren in that lodge Divine, "*
Where all is harmony and love."
Dr. John F. Butler is the son of Jonathan and
Martha (Russell) Butler, of Marlow, and was born
June 14, 1831 ; graduated at the Harvard Med-
ical School March, 1854, and came to Chester-
field the next April. In the spring of 1864 he
joined the Thirty-ninth Regiment Massachusetts
Volunteers as assistant surgeon, and served till
the war closed, when he returned to Chesterfield.
He married, in 1857, Julia, daughter of Rev.
Silas Quimby, of Lebanon, and who died August
19, 1861. In 1863 he married Celia A., daugh-
*\ter of John L. Brewster, of Lowell, Mass.

Dr. Daniel F. Randall has resided in Ches-
terfield since 1855, engaged in the practice of
his profession. He was born May 24, 1829,
and is the son of Menzias R. Randall, M.D., a
veteran physician of Rehoboth, Mass. He
graduated at the medical school in Woodstock,
Vt.j in 1852, and settled in this town in 1855,
where he has ever since resided. He married
Miss Amelia C. French, of Berkley, Mass.

Lawyers. — Hon. Phineas Handerson was
probably the first lawyer who practiced his pro-
fession in Chesterfield. His office was at the
Centre village, where he resided from 1805 or
1806 till 1833, when he removed to Keene. (See
Biographical Notices.)

Hon. Larkin G. Mead, who read law with
Mr. Handerson, also practiced in this town till
1839, when he removed to Brattleborough, Vt.
(See Biographical Notices.)

Charles C. Webster, Esq., late of Keene,
practiced law in Chesterfield from July, 1839,
to January, 1846.

Hon. Harvey Carlton, now of Winchester,
engaged in the practice of law in this town
from 1841 to 1854.

Allen P. Dudley, Esq., now of San Fran-
cisco, Cal., practiced law in Chesterfield a while
previous to 1855, about which time he removed
to California.

William L. Dudley, Esq., commenced the
practice of law in this town in 1846, but re-
moved to California in 1849, and resides at
present in Stockton, engaged in the practice of
his profession.

Spafford's Lake as a Summer Resort. —
A brief description of Spafford's Lake has been
given in another place. Though it had been
for many years a favorite resort for local fisher-
men and the students of the academy, and had
occasionally been visited by pleasure-seekers
from abroad, it was not till within the past
twelve years that any measures were taken to
establish a hotel, boat-house, cottages, etc., for
the accommodation of persons who desire to with-
draw from the noise and tumult of the " mad-

160

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ding crowd," and spend a few weeks in the
quietness of the country.
It is true that

" Old Captain Bulky, 'a sailor by trade,
Who round the world many voyages had made,"

had a sail-boat on this lake many years ago ; as
did afterwards Ezekiel P. Pierce, Si\, whose
boat, sometimes manned by an experienced sea-
man, was used more or less by sailing-parties
for several years. Pierce's Island, too, has been
for a long time a resort for students and others
who desire to enjoy camp-life for a few days at
a time. Nevertheless, as stated above, it was
not till within the past twelve years that people
have resorted to the lake in large numbers
(excepting, perhaps, a few instances) for recrea-
tion and diversion, and for the holding of
religious, and even political meetings.

In 1873 the Prospect House, as mentioned
in another place, was built by John W. Herrick,
of Keeue, and was designed for the accommoda-
tion of persons who might come to the lake
seeking health or pleasure.

The boat-house, on the southern shore of the
lake, was finished in 1875. Near it are a skat-
ing-rink, dining-hall, lodging-house, etc., now
managed by Frank H. Farr, as is also the boat-
house.

On the southern and western shores are pretty
extensive picnic-grounds. On the one west of
the lake Lucius Thatcher has a large stable for
horses, a lodging-house, restaurant and skating-
rink.

A number of individuals have also erected
private cottages near the lake, which are occu-
pied most of the time during the hot season.

The little steamer " Enterprise," the con-
struction of which was mainly due to the efforts
of John W. AYhite, was finished in 1876.
•■ Eer model was drafted by I). J. Lawlor, of
East Boston, Mass. Her length is In feet,
breadth of beam 15 feet, depth id' hold 4 feet,

1 "Captain Bulky" was the sobriquet of Captain .

who is said to have put the first Bail-boat on the lake.

draft 28 inches, diameter of propeller- wheel 32
inches. Her engine is of 8 horse-power, boiler
of 12 horse-power. Her carrying capacity is
about 125 persons, though upon occasion as
many as 150 have been on board at a single
trip."

Xo serious accident has occurred on or about
the lake since it has become popular as a resort,
except the drowning of the musicians Conly
and Reitzel.

In the afternoon of Friday, the 26th day of
May, 1882, George A. Conly, basso, and Her-
man Reitzel, pianist, of Clara Louise Kell6gg's
concert company, were drowned in the lake
while rowing for pleasure. These gentlemen,
with others, came over from Brattleborough,
where the company had an engagement to give a
concert in the evening of the next day. Having
procured a boat at F. H. Farr's boat-house,
Conly and Reitzel started out, leaving tin1 rest
of the party on land, and were last seen by the
latter off' the northern point of the island. Xot
having returned at the proper time, fears were
entertained for their safety, as a strong southerly
wind was blowing, and the waves were running
pretty high. Search was consequently made
for them, and their boat found bottom upwards ;
but not till the next day was unmistakable evi-
dence obtained that they had been drowned.
Vigorous efforts were then made to recover the
bodies of the unfortunate men, by dredging, by
firing a cannon, by exploding dynamite car-
tridges in the lake and by the employment of
various other devices.

The bodies were not found, however, till they
rose, Reitzel's being discovered floating Wed-
nesday forenoon, the 7th day of the follow-
ing June, and Conly's Wednesday morning, the
14th day of the same month. The latter was
without coat or shoes, and had evidently made
a desperate effort to save his own and, perhaps,
his companion's life. The place of the disaster
seems to have been about sixty rods northeast
of the northern point of the island.

Mr. Conly was a native of Southwark, now

CHESTERFIELD.

161

part of Philadelphia, and was thirty- seven
years old ; Mr. Reitzel was a native of New
York, and was only nineteen years old.

Aged Persons. — The following is proba-
bly an incomplete list of the persons who have
died in Chesterfield at an age of ninety years or

Mrs. Mary Hamilton, December 16, 1842, aged
ninety.

Mrs. Lydia Cheney, April 4, 1859, aged ninety.

Mrs. Orpha Presho, April 17, 1856, aged ninety.

Thomas Dunham, March 20, 1870, aged ninety.

Mrs. Sarah Johnson, December 31, 1837, aged
ninety.

Mrs. Sally Hinds, August 24, 1864, aged ninety.

Asa Fullam, December 14, 1870, aged ninety.

Mrs. Persis Dudley, January 13, 1885, aged ninety.

Mrs. Judith Tyler, August 11, 1854, aged ninety-
one.

Elisha Rockwood, February 13, 1832, aged ninety-
one.

Mrs. Betsey Smith, January 26, 1863, aged ninety -
one.

Mrs. Sophia Day, November 11, 1883, aged ninety-
one.

Mrs. Grata Thomas, August 5, 1884, aged ninety-
one.

Samuel Hamilton, October 19, 1878, aged ninety-
one.

Jonathan Cressy, April 26, 1824, aged ninety-
one.

Mrs. Polly Spaulding, February 22, 1885, aged
ninety-one (very nearly).

Mrs. Mary Putnam, January 30, 1830, aged ninety-
two.

Stephen Streeter, Sr., March 11, 1845, aged ninety-
two.

William Clark, Sr., February 19, 1849, aged ninety-
two.

Amos Crouch, August 18, 1861, aged ninety-two.

Mrs. Submit Sanderson, June 27, 1822, aged ninety-
three.

Ebenezer Robertson, April 22, 1882, aged ninety-
four.

Nathaniel Bacon, September 10, 1823, aged ninety-
five.

Mrs. Mary Titus, May 7, 1845, aged ninety-five.

Mrs. Clarissa Norcross, May 30, 1877, aged ninety-
five.

Mrs. Rachel Jackson, March 12, 1836, aged ninety-
six.

Timothy Ladd, August 30, 1834, aged ninety-six.
11

John Butler, September 10, 1883, aged ninety-
seven.

Mrs. Esther Faulkner, ^November 29, 1876, aged
one hundred and one years, one month, seven days.

Mrs. Sarah Draper, December 19, 1863, aged one
hundred and one years, five months, sixteen days.

Mrs. Hannah Bailey, November, 1822, aged one hun-
dred and four years, three months.

The oldest person now living in the town is
Mrs. Sophronia (Mann) Pierce, born in Smith-
field, R. I., June 14, 1785.

Civil List. —

TOWN CLERKS <>K CHESTERFIELD (1770-1885).

Ephraim Baldwin, 1770 to 1784.

Jacob Amidon, 1785 to 1799.

Solomon Harvey. 1800 to 1817.

Abraham Wood, Jr., 1818 to 1833.

George H. Fitch, 1834 to 1835.

Oscar Coolidge, 1836 to 1838.

Nelson W. Herrick, 1839 to 1842.

Warham R. Platte, 1843 to 1844.

Sumner Warren, 1845.

Harvey Carpenter, Ls46 to 1848.

John O. French, 1849 to 1852.

Henry O. Coolidge, 1853.

Arza K. Clark, 1854.

Henry O. Coolidge, 1855 to 1867.

Hermon C. Harvey, 1868.

Henry O. Coolidge, 1869.

Hermon C. Harvey, 1870 to 1873.

Murray Davis, 1874 to 1875.

Edward P. F. Dearborn, 1876.

Hermon C. Harvey, 1877 to 1882.

James H. Goodrich (2d), 1883 to the present time.

SELECTMEN OF CHESTERFIELD (1767-1885).

1767. — Simon Davis, John Snow, Jonathan Hil-
dreth, Eleazer Cobleigh, Ebenezer Davison.

1768-69.— No record.

1770. — Jonathan Hildreth, Silas Thompson, Elka-
nah Day, Thomas Emmons, Nathaniel Bingham.

1771. — Moses Smith, David Stoddard, Timothy
Ladd.

1772.— Same as in 1771.

1773.— Zerubbabel Snow, Ephraim Baldwin, Mar-
tin Warner.

1774. — Same as in 1773.

1775. — Nathaniel Bingham, Ephraim Hubbard,
Stephen Carter, Moses Smith, Jr., John Davison.

1776. — Ephraim Baldwin, Michael Cressey, Sam-
uel Hildreth, Moses Smith, Jr., Ephraim Hubbard.

162

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

1777. — Samuel Fairbanks, Elisha Rockwood, James
Robertson, Nathaniel Bingham, Jonathan Farr (2d).

1778. — Samuel Hildreth, Moses Smith, Abner
Johnson, Kimball Carlton, Jacob Hinds.

1779. — Jonathan Hildreth, Oliver Cobleigh, War-
ren Snow.

1780. — Michael Cressey, Elisha Rockwood, Andrew
Hastings.

1781. — Moses Smith, Jr., Abner Johnson, Samuel
King [Jr.].

1782. — Samuel King [Jr.], Jonas Fairbanks, Ab-
ner Johnson, Moses Smith, Eleazer Jackson.

1783. — Ebenezer Harvey, Eleazer Pomeroy, Elea-
zer Jackson, Captain Davis, Lieutenant

Fletcher.

1784. — Benjamin Haskell, Peter Stone, Amos Hub-
bard.

1785. — Paul Eager, Jacob Amidon, Reuben Graves.

1786.— Martin Warner, William Hildreth, Ezra
Day.

1787. — Eleazer Jackson, Michael Cressey, Benja-
min Haskell.

1788. — Eleazer Jackson, Benjamin Haskell, Silas
Richardson.

1789. — Moses Smith, Abner Johnson, Solomon
Harvey.

1790.— Same as in 1789.

1791.— Same as in 1789.

1792. — Solomon Harvey, John Braley, James
Wheeler.

1793. — Eleazer Jackson, Peter Stone, Silas Rich-
ardson.

1794.— Same aa in 1793.

1795. — Eleazer Jackson, Silas Richardson, Asahel
Shurtleff.

1796. — Eleazer Jackson, Silas Richardson, David
Stoddard.

1797. — Michael Cressey, Jacob Amidon, Abraham
Stearns.

1798. — Joseph Atherton, Benjamin Haskell, Oliver
Brown.

1799.— Same as in 1798.

1800. — Eleazer Jackson, James Wheeler, Asahel
Shurtleff.

1801. — James Wheeler, Asahel Shurtleff, Joseph
Pattridge.

1802. — Martin Pomeroy, Joseph Pattridge, John
Day.

1803. — Joseph Pattridge, John Day, Ebenezer Har-
vey.

1804. — John Day, Ebenezer Harvey, Jr., Wilkes
Richardson.

1805.— Same as in 1804.

1806. — John Kneeland, Abraham Stearns, Josiah
Hastings, Jr.

1807.— Same as in 1806.

1808. — John Kneeland, John Putnam, Amasa
Makepeace.

1809. — John Putnam, Joseph Atherton, Benjamin
Cook.

1810. — John Kneeland, Amasa Makepeace, Josiah
Hastings.

1811. — Joseph Atherton, Oliver Brown, Phineas
Handerson.

1812. — John Kneeland, Oliver Brown, Levi Jack-
son.

1813.— Same as in 1812.

1814.— Same as in 1812.

1815. — John Kneeland, Elijah Scott, Asa Fullani.

1816. — John Kneeland, Joseph Pattridge, Elijah
Scott.

1817. — Joseph Pattridge, Benjamin Cook, John
Day.

1818. — Benjamin Cook, John Day, Robert L. Hurd.

1819.— Same as in 1818.

1820. — John Kneeland, John Putnam, Robert L.
Hurd.

1821. — John Kneeland, .John Putnam, Nathan
Wild.

1822.— John Kneeland, Nathan Wild, Nathaniel
Walton.

1823.— Same as in 1822.

1824.— Same as in 1822.

1825.— Same as in 1822.

1826. — John Kneeland, John Putnam, Orlo Rich-
ardson.

1827. — Orlo Richardson, Ezekiel P. Pierce, Na-
thaniel Walton.

1828. — Orlo Richardson, Otis Amidon, Nathaniel
Walton.

1829. — Nathaniel Walton, Otis Amidon, Abishai
Wetherbee.

1830. — Otis Amidon, Abishai Wetherbee, John
Harris.

1831. — John Harris, Otis Amidon, Joseph Holden.

1832. — Joseph Holden, Moses Dudley, John Har-
ris.

1833. — Moses Dudley, Joseph Holden, Charles Con-
verse.

1834. — Nathaniel Walton, Charles Converse, Orlo
Richardson.

1835.— Orlo Richardson, Charles Converse, Moses
Dudley.

1836. — Ezra Titus, Asa Marsh, Samuel Goodrich.

1837. — Samuel Goodrich, Chandler A. Cressey, Al-
pheus Snow.

CHESTERFIELD.

163

1838. — Ara Hamilton, Chandler A. Cressey, Al-
pheus Snow.

1839. — Alpheus Snow, Reuben Marsh, Ara Hamil-
ton.

1840. — Ara Hamilton, Oscar Coolidge, Mark Cook.

1841.— Same as in 1840.

1842.— Sam'l Goodrich, Reuben Marsh, N. Walton.

1843. — Ara Hamilton, Reuben Marsh, Nathaniel
Walton.

1844. — Nathaniel Walton, Reuben Marsh, Samuel
Burt, Jr.

1845. — Ara Hamilton, Alpheus Snow, Parker D.
Cressey.

1846. — Nathaniel Walton, Parker D. Cressey, Jo-
seph C. Goodrich.

1847. — Ezra Titus, Parker D. Cressey, Richard
Hopkins, Jr.

1848.— Samuel Burt, Jr., Warham R. Platts, Otis
Wheeler.

1849. — Alpheus Snow, Moses Dudley, Arad Fletcher.

1850. — Chandler A. Cressey, Oscar Coolidge, Ben-
jamin Pierce.

1851. — Warham R. Platts, John M. Richardson,
Sumner Albee.

1852. — Joseph C. Goodrich, Arza K. Clark, George
Chamberlain.

1853. — Arza K. Clark, Alpheus Snow, Joseph C.
Goodrich.

1854. — James H. Goodrich, Reuben Porter, Asa
Smith.

1855. — Ebenezer P. Wetherell, Olney Goff, Ransom
Farr.

1856. — Arad Fletcher, John Heywood, John M.
Richardson.

1857.— Same as in 1856.

1858.— Arad Fletcher, Richard H. Hopkins, Wil-
liam Clark.

1859.— Same as in 1858.

I860.— Rodney Fletcher, Henry O. Coolidge, Tru-
man A. Stoddard.

1861.— Same as in 1860.

1862.— Rodney Fletcher, Charles C. P. Goodrich,
George Goodrich.

1863.— David W. Beckley, Arza K. Clark, Charles
C. P. Goodrich.

1864.— Same as in 1863.

1865.— David W. Beckley, Henry O. Coolidge, Levi
L. Colburn.

1866. — Same as in 1865.

1867.— Henry O. Coolidge, Eli R. Wellington,
Frederick L. Stone.

1868. — Samuel J. Pattridge, George Goodrich, John
W. Davis.

1869. — George Goodrich, John W. Davis, James
H. Goodrich.

1870. — James H. Goodrich, John B. Fisk, Murray
Davis.

1871. — George Goodrich, James H. Goodrich, Mur-
ray Davis.

1872. — Murray Davis, James H. Goodrich, Amos
R, Hubbard.

1873. — Murray Davis, Amos R. Hubbard, George
S. Fletcher.

1874. — James H. Goodrich (2d), George S. Fletcher,
John W. Davis.

1875. — James H. Goodrich (2d), John L. Streeter,
George S. Fletcher.

1876.— John L. Streeter, Amos R. Hubbard, Wil-
liam Atherton.

1877. — William Atherton, John L. Streeter, George
Goodrich.

1878. — William Atherton, Murray Davis, George
Goodrich.

1879. — Murray Davis, George Goodrich, David
Holman.

1880.— Same as in 1879.

1881. — Murray Davis, Larkin D. Farr, David Hol-
man.

1882.— Same as in 1881.

1883.— Same as in 1881.

1884. — Larkin D. Farr, Hazelton Rice, David Hol-
man.

1885.— Larkin D. Farr, Warren H. Butler, William
Atherton.

REPRESENTATIVES OF CHESTERFIELD IN THE
GENERAL COURT (1775-1885).

1775. Archb. Robertson.

1776. Michael Cressey.

1777. Michael Cressey.

1778. Michael Cressey.

1779. Nath. Bingham.

1780. None chosen.

1781. No representative
in the New Hampshire
Legislature, but Saml.
King, Jr., and Silas
Thompson represented
the town in the Ver-
mont Assembly.

1782. Samuel King [Jr.].

1783. Samuel King [Jr.].

1784. Samuel King [Jr.].

1785. Ebenezer Harvey.

1786. Moses Smith.

1787. Moses Smith.

1788. Moses Smith.

1789. Benjamin Haskell.

1790. Moses Smith.

1791. Moses Smith.

1792. Eleazer Jackson.

1793. Eleazer Jackson.

1794. Simon Willard.

1795. Simon Willard.

1796. Simon Willard.

1797. Eleazer Jackson.

1798. Simon Willard.

1799. Benjamin Haskell.

1800. Benjamin Haskell.

1801. Simon Willard.

1802. Simon Willard.

1803. Simon Willard.

1804. Simon Willard.

1805. Simon Willard.

1806. Simon Willard.

1807. Simon Willard.

1808. Levi Jackson.

1809. Levi Jackson.

1810. Levi Jackson.

n;t

BISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

1811.

Levi Jackson.

1845.

L812.

l'h in. Handerson.

1813.

Tliin. Handerson.

L846.

L81 I.

Benjamin ( look.

L815.

1 ten jam in Cook.

1S47.

Phin. Handerson.

1848.

1816.

Benjamin i look.
John Putnam.

1840.

L817.

John Putnam.
Joseph Atherton.

L850.

L818.

John Putnam.

1 85 1 .

John Kneeland.

1852.

L819.

John Kneeland,

Benjamin Cook.

1853.

L820.

John Kneeland.

L854.

L821.

Levi Jackson.

1855.

L822.

John Kneeland.

1856.

1823.

Ehenezer Stearns.

is:, ;.

1824.

Ehenezer Stearns.

1858.

L825.

John Kneeland.

L859.

[826.

John Putnam.

1860.

L827.

Ezekiel P. Pierce.

1861.

1828.

( )rlo RichardsOn.

L862.

L829.

Orlo Richardson.

1863.

L830.

None chosen.

1864.

L831.

Nathan Wild.

1865.

1832.

Nathan Wild.

1866.

1833.

Otis Amnion.

L867.

1834.

Otis Amnion.

1868.

1835.

Otis Amidon.

1869.

L836.

Charles Converse.

L870.

is:;:.

Charles Converse.

L871.

is:;s.

Otis Amidon.

1872.

1s;;m.

Thomas Hardy.

1873.

L840.

( (scar Coolidge.

1874.

Ara Hamilton.

1875.

1841.

Oscar Coolidge.

1876.

Ara Hamilton.

1877.

L842.

Jay Jackson.

1878.

Edwin Sargent.

L879.

1843.

Ara Hamilton.

1881.

1844.

Jay Jackson.

L883.

Nathaniel Walton.

1885.

Ara Hamilton.
John Pierce.
Nathaniel Walton.
Saml. J. Pattridge.
None chosen.
Harvey Carpenter.
AJpheus Snow.
John Harris.
John Harris.
I >a\ id Hay.
David Hay.
1 larvey ( 'arlton.
Saml. J. Pattridge.
Jos. ('. ( roodrich.
Jos. C. ( roodrich.
Ara Hamilton.
( his Amidon.
Barton Skinner.
Barton Skinner.
A rad Fletcher.
Arad Fletcher.
J. M. Richardson.
J. M. Richardson.
C. C. P. Goodrich.
C. C. P. Goodrich.
Rich. II. Hopkins.
Rich. H. Hopkins.
Henry < >. t loolidge.
.las. 11. < roodrich.
.las. 1 1. ( toodrich.
Warren Bingham.
( reorge Goodrich.
C. C. P. Goodrich.
• rordis D. Harris.
John F. Butler.
John F. Butler.
John Harris.
John Harris.

< >ran E. Randall.

< )ran E. Randall.
Murray Ha vis.
John L. Streeter.
W. A. Pattridge.

DELEGATES FROM CHESTERFIELD TO THE CONVEN-
TIONS FOR REVISING THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
STATE.

[n 1791, Eleazer Jackson ; in L850, Ara Hamilton
and Moses Dudley ; in L876, Jay Jackson.

Dr. Solomon Harvey was the delegate from Ches-
terfield to the convention that adopted the Federal

Constitution in 1788.

SUPERVISORS OF I B E CH E( K-LIST.

Eleazer Randall, James 11. Goodrich, Russell H.
Davis, chosen November, 1878.

John L. Streeter, Richard A. Webher, William
Atherton, chosen November, 1880.

Rodney Fletcher, John L. Streeter, Richard A.
Webber, chosen November, 1882.

Charles C. P. Goodrich, Amos R. Hubbard, Her-
schel J. Fowler, chosen November, 1884.

MEMBERS OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATE FROM
CHESTERFIELD.

Levi Jackson, 1812, '13, '14, '15.
Phineas Handerson, 1816, '17, '25, '31, '32.
Nathan Wild, 1833, '34.
Murray Davis, 1885.

Levi Jackson was also a member of the Council in
1816, '17.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

Jacob Amidon, Lorn in Mendon, Mass., in
17").') or 1754, was in college at the time of the
commencement of the Revolution, but soon en-
listed in the patriot army, and served during the

most of the war, with the exception of twenty-
eight months, during which time he was detained
a prisoner on a British prison-ship.

December 23, 1782, he purchased in Chester-
field a portion of lot No. 5, in the eighth ranee,
and probably settled in the town soon after-
wards. He resided near the ( 'entre village, on
the farm afterwards owned and occupied many
years by his son Otis, and bnilt the house now
owned by the Methodist Society of Chesterfield,
and used as a parsonage. He probably engaged
in trade for a while after coming to ( Ihesterfield,
as lie was styled, in the deed of the land he had
purchased in this town, a "trader." In L785
he was chosen clerk of the town, and held the
office, by successive elections, till L800. He
was also selectman in 1785 and 17!»7.

His wife was Esther, daughter of Timothy
Ladd. She died March 26, 1852, in her
ninetieth year. He died February 11, 1839,
aged eighty-five years.

Otis Amidon, son of Jacob Amidon, bom
April 26, 1794, settled in Chesterfield, after his
marriage, on the old homestead, and continued
to reside here as long as he lived, engaging to
some extent in agriculture, and, for a while, in
trade at the Centre village. For many years
he took a prominent part in the affairs of the

CHESTERFIELD.

165

town and church, serving the former in the
capacity of selectman in 1828, '29, '30 and '31,
and representing it in the General Court in
1833, '34, '35, '38 and '56. For a long time,
also, he held the office of justice of the peace,
the duties of which he was well qualified to
perform, and was one of the veteran " 'Squires "
of the town.

He married, in 1825, -Nancy, daughter of
Benjamin Cook, and had only one son that
lived to adult age — Hon. Charles J. Amidon,
now of Hinsdale. He died July 22, 1866.

Joseph Atherton, son of Oliver Atherton, of
Harvard, Mass., and a descendant of James
Atherton, of Milton, Mass., was born August
15, 1750. He married, in 1771, Hannah
Farnsworth, of Groton, Mass. June 28, 1794,
he purchased, in Chesterfield, lots Nos. 11 and
12, in the fourth range, and soon after settled
on one of them. The hill on which he lived,
and on which he built a large dwelling, is now
called " Atherton Hill." He was selectman in
1798, V9, 1809, '11, and representative in 1817.
He died April 4, 1839, "honored and respected
by his neighbors and townsmen."

Dr. Oliver Baker, son of Dr. Oliver Baker,
born in Plainfield August 16, 1788, studied
medicine in the Medical Department of Dart-
mouth College, under Dr. Nathan Smith. In
1809 he settled in Chesterfield, Avhere he prac-
tised his profession till 1840. He then removed
to West Hartford, Vt., where he remained about
two years. He afterwards practiced in Plain-
field, and in Windsor, Vt. He died at his
daughter's home, in Plainfield, July 4, 1865.

Ephraim Baldwin was in Chesterfield in
1763, in which year he bought land in this town.
He was town clerk from 1770 to 1785, and
selectman in 1773, '74, '76. He was also, for
some time, justice of the peace. His name ap-
pears for the last time on the tax-lists for 1790.
(For an account of his citation before the New
Hampshire Assembly, for alleged Toryism, see
under "War of the Revolution).

Nathaniel Bingham appears to have settled

in Chesterfield as early as 1767. In the deed
of the land purchased by him in this town he
was styled a "cooper." He lived on Wetherbee
Hill, a short distance north of the Centre
village. He was selectman in 1770, '75 and
'77 ; representative in 1779. (For an account
of his arrest and imprisonment by A'ermont
officers, etc., see under "Controversy about the
New Hampshire Grants "). He died April 26,
1802, in his seventy seventh year.

Asa BRiTToN,born in Raynham, Mass., April
30, 1763, settled in Chesterfield in 1790 or 1 791,
near Spafford's Lake. From this farm Mr.
Britton removed to Chesterfield village about
the year 1.S05, where for many years he was an
active, energetic business man, merchant, sheriff,
farmer, postmaster and justice of the peace.
His business career was a successful one, and
he acquired what in the country, in those early
days, was considered a large property, which he
enjoyed, and bestowed freely upon others, until
past middle age. Soon after the year 1815 he
met with business reverses, caused by the ab-
sconding of two successive partners. Old Mrs.
Britton, in after-days, used to tell with much
gusto a story connected with this fact. Mr.
Britton, or " Esquire Britton," as he was called,
was a tall, large man, weighing, perhaps, two
hundred pounds, and his success, of course,
made him enemies as well as friends. On the
occasion of the decamping of the second of his
partners, while the village was ringing with the
news of the gutted store and money-box, a
party of gamins, instigated by the enemy, set
the church-bell also ringing, and above the noise
and confusion of the crowd, which the sound of
the bell at that unusual hour had collected, was
heard the cry, ever louder and louder, " Great
Britton has fallen ! Great Britton has fallen ! "
Mr. Britton died in Chesterfield, June 30, 1*49.

Capt. William S. Brooks, born in Med-
ford, Mass., March 5, 1781, Avcnt on a voyage
at sea with his uncle at the age of nine years.
He was in France during the French Revolu-
tion, and also at the time Napoleon the First

166

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

was at the height of his power. Once, when
in the Cove of Cork, he was pressed into
the English navy, and served six months in the
royal frig-ate " Diamond." At another time, .
while cruising in the English Channel, he was
captured twice in one day — first by the Eng-
lish and then by the French. By the latter lie
was retained in prison six months, a part of
which time was occupied in making sails for
French ships. On his return from France,
President John Adams appointed him a lieuten-
ant in the navy, which office he declined. He
was engaged for some time in commerce, as com-
mander of a merchant-vessel^ at a period when
the American Hag did not always command of
foreign nations the respect that it now docs, and
many were the adventures and " hair-breadth
'scapes" that he used to relate in the later
years of his life.

On retiring from the sea, he settled at Cam-
bridge, Mass., where lie was postmaster four
years. In August, 1821, he came to Chester-
field, and engaged in the manufacture of cotton
goods at Factory village, in which business he
continued till 1850. In 1839, however, he
removed to Brattleborough, but still retained his
connection with the factory. He married, in
1807, Eleanor Forman, of Middletown, N. J.
He died in Brattleborough, Vt., April, 18()o.

CHARLES ( JoNVERSE, son of Joseph Converse,
and a descendant of Deacon Edward ('(in-
verse, of Charlestown, Mass., was born Decem-
ber 30, 1 788. He spent the most of his life in
< Ihesterfield, engaged in farming. For many
years he was a justice of the peace, and held
the office of select man in 1833-35. He was
also representative in the General Court in
1836-37. He died September 18, 1858.

()scai; Com. 1 1 H.i-;, son of Abraham Coolidge,
of Marlborough, horn July L>:2, 17i>8, settled
in Chesterfield about 1824. He married, in
1824, Lovina Rockwood, of Fitzwilliam. F\>r
a period of about eleven years (till 1835) he
was engaged in trade at the West village.
He then removed to the Centre village, where

he continued in the same business till his death,
with the exception of one year, when he was in
trade at Factory village. He also took an
active part in the affairs of the town, and was
selectman in 1810, 1841 and 1850; town clerk,
1836-38 ; representative, 1840 and 1841. He
died March 4, 1862, having survived his wife
but a few hours.

His son, Henry O. Coolidge, resided many
years in Chesterfield, but removed to Keene in
1869. He is cashier of the Ashuelot National
Bank, of that city, and register of Probate for
Cheshire County.

Amos Crouch, born in 1769, son of John
Crouch, of Boxborough, Mass., afterwards of
Chesterfield, settled in this town in 1802 or
1803. In his youth lie had no opportunity to
attend school ; nevertheless, he learned to read
and to write his name. In his early manhood
he had to contend with poverty and adversity,
but by hard labor and exteme prudence suc-
ceeded in gaining some property. lie was
noted for his promptness in paying his debts, and
with him " the ' first ' of the month was always
the first day." A strict observer of the Sab-
bath himself, he brought up his children to
attend church, and would not allow them to
play or visit on that day. He was married
three times. He died August 18, 18(11.

John Darling, from Winchendon, Mass.,
appears to have settled in Chesterfield in 1778,
in which year he bought land here.

Fie was one of the party that made the
famous march to Quebec in 177o, under com-
mand of Benedict Arnold, through the wilder-
ness of Maine. On this march the men suffered
extremely from cold and hunger. -John used to
relate that, having one day found the leg of a
dog that had been killed for food, he scorched
off the hair and ate evevy morsel of flesh and
skin that he could gel from it. He declared
thai be never ate anything in his life that tasted
better! At one time, while in the army, he
came near dying of small-pox. He probably
settled in Chesterfield soon afcer buying his land

CHESTERFIELD.

167

he and his wife (according to a tradition in the
family) coming from Winchendon on foot. His
first wife (Sarah Blood, of Groton, Mass.) died
in 1804. He afterwards married twice. He
was an active, enterprising man, and at one time
owned an extensive tract of timber-land in the
" Winchester woods," from which he cut large
quantities of lumber, sawing it in a mill erected
for that purpose, then drawing it to the Con-
necticut and rafting it down to Hartford. He
died March 28, 1824, in his seventy-third year.

Samuel Davis settled in Chesterfield as
early as 1766. There are reasons for believing
that he was the son of Samuel Davis, of Lunen-
burgh, Mass., who was probably one of the
grantees of Chesterfield. He owned much land
in Chesterfield at different times, having pos-
session, at one time, of a part of the " Governor's
farm." (For the part that he took in the con-
troversy about the "New Hampshire Grants,"
and for an account of his attempt to break up
the Inferior Court at Keene, see under " Con-
troversy about the New Hampshire Grants").

He appears to have removed from this town
about 1790.

Samuel Fairbanks was in Chesterfield in

1776, which year he signed the "Association
Test."

He was one of the town Committee of Safety,
and appears to have been one of the most zealous
patriots in the town. He was also selectman in

1777. In his will, made August 9, 1787, and
proved June 16, 1790, he bequeathed all his
property to his wife, for the support of his
children, and named his son Zenas sole executor.
He died April 14, 1790, in his seventy-first
year.

Marsh all H. Fare, son of Ora Farr, born
in Chesterfield January 16, 1817, was a car-
penter by trade, and resided in Chesterfield till
1854, when he removed to Canada West
(Ontario), where he engaged extensively in the
construction of railway and other buildings.
March 12, 1857, the train on which he was
riding was precipitated into the Des Jardins

bridge, near

Canal by the breaking of a

Hamilton, P. 0., and he received injuries that

caused his death in a few hours.

Dennie W. Farr, son of Worcester and
Abial (Kueelaud) Farr, born in Chesterfield
January 7, 1840, was serving as a clerk in a
store in Brattleborough, Vt., when the Civil War
broke out. He soon enlisted in the Fourth
Eegiment of Vermont Volunteer Infantry, and
was commissioned second lieutenant. August
13, 1862, he was commissioned captain of
Company C, in the same regiment, in which
capacity he served with honor. At the battle
of the Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864, he was
killed by a shot that struck him in the head.

Thomas Fisk, born 1774, son of John Fisk,
of Framingham, Mass., and a descendant of
Nathaniel Fisk, who came from England, came
to Chesterfield in 1807, and settled on the farm
now owned and occupied by his son, John B.
Fisk, Esq., building the large house in which
the latter now lives. When about two years
old he had an attack of scarlet fever, which
caused him to be deaf and, consequently, dumb.
He learned, nevertheless, to read, and to cipher
in the four fundamental rules of arithmetic. At
the age of fifty years he was admitted to the
school for deaf-mutes, at Hartford, Conn., for
the term of one year. He made rapid progress,
and acquired knowledge that was of great use
to him during the remaining years of his life.
His wife was Lucinda Trowbridge, of Pom fret,
Conn. He died July 25, 1861.

Samuel Goodrich, born in Fitchburg, Mass.,
September 6, 1788, settled in Chesterfield
in 1813, on the farm now owned and oc-
cupied by Willard Henry, and where he con-
tinued to reside till his death. He was a man
of great industry and perseverance, and his life
was one of ceaseless activity. Though not an
extensive farmer, in comparison with some, he
was nevertheless a successful one ; and his suc-
cess in this respect is a fine illustration (if what
intelligent and well-directed effort can accom-
plish in overcoming natural obstacles.

168

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

His wife was Hannah Cain, of Weymouth,
Mass. In 1836, '37 and '-12 he held the office
of selectman. He died January 1, 1877.

Da vin W.Goodrich, from Gill, Mass., settled
in Chesterfield about 1810. He was a cloth-
dresser by trade, and had a mill on Catsbane
Brook, at the West village. After following
his trade for sonic years, he engaged in fanning.
His wife was Salome, daughter of Benjamin
Wheeler. He died at the "Kneeland place"
(now owned and occupied by his son, Charles
C. P. Goodrich, Esq.), March 22, 1857.

William Haile, son of John and Eunice
(Henry) Haile, was born in Putney, Vt., May,
1807. At the age of about fourteen years he
came to this town with his parents, but was
soon afterwards taken into the family of Ezekiel
P. Pierce, St., with whom he lived till he was
about twenty-one years old. Having attended
school about two years, he entered, in 1823, Mr.
Pierce's store as a clerk, in 1827 or 1828 he
borrowed a small sum of money and opened a
store on his own account at the Centre village.
With characteristic sagacity, he soon foresaw,
however, that Hinsdale was destined to become
a busy and thriving town on account of the
abundance of power furnished by the Ashuelot
River. He therefore, in 1834 or 1835, re-
moved to that town , where he continued to en-
gage in mercantile pursuits until 1846, when he
became interested in the lumber business. In
is 19 he began, as a member of the firm of
Haile & Todd, the manufacture of cashmerettes.
Afterwards the name of the firm was changed to
that of Haile, Frost & Co., by which name
it is known at present.

Though extensively engaged in business, Mr.
Haile took a prominent part in political affairs.
With the exception of two years, he represented
Hinsdale in the General Court from 1846 to
1854; was elected to the New Hampshire Sen-
ate in 1854 and 1x55, of which body he was
also president the latter year, and was again
elected representative in 1856. The next year
he was elected Governor, to which office he was

re-elected in 1858. In 1873 he removed from
Hinsdale to Keene, where he had built a fine
residence. He did not cease, however, to take
an active part in business till his death, which
occurred July 22, 1876. Mr. Haile married, in
1828, Sabrana S., daughter of Arza Walker, of
Chesterfield.

Phineas H Anderson, son of Gideon and Abi-
gail (Church) Handerson, was born in Amherst,
Mass., December 13, 1778. He was born in
his grandfather's house, which was torn down,
when it was more than a hundred years old, to
make room for the Agricultural College. While
he was yet an infant his parents removed to
Claremont, this State, his mother making the
journey on horseback and carrying him in her
arms. Having obtained what education the
common schools of that town afforded, he began
the study of law in the office of Hon. George B.
Upham. In 1805 or 1X06 he settled in this
town, in which he practiced his profession till
1833. While a resident of Chesterfield he fre-
quently held town and State offices. In 1811
he was selectman ; in 1812, 1813 and 1815 he
represented the town in the General Court ; in
1816 he was elected State Senator, an office to
which he was re-elected in 1817, 1825, 1831
and 1832. He married, 1818, Hannah W.,
daughter of Rev. Samuel Mead, of Walpole.
She died December 30, 1863. In 1833 he re-
moved to Keene, where he continued the prac-
tice of law. At the time of his death, in March,
1854, he was president of the Cheshire bar.

The Hakims Family. — The founder of the
Harris family in Chesterfield wasAbner Harris,
a probable descendant of Arthur Harris, who
emigrated from England to America at an early
period, and was living in Duxbury, Mass., in
1640. Abner Harris came from Woodstock,
Conn., and appears to have settled in Chester-
field in 1777. His will was proved August 23,
1798.

One of his sons was John Harris, who lived
and died in Chesterfield. John married, in
1783, Hannah Colburn, of this town, and had a

CHESTERFIELD.

169

family of eleven children, three of whom are
now living, the youngest being more than eighty
years old. The eldest of the three, AVilder Har-
ris, born May 11, 1797, now resides in Brattle-
borouerh, Vt., but was a resident of this town
till I860.

Another son of John Harris and brother of
Wilder Harris was John Harris, Jr. He was a
farmer in Chesterfield, and married, in 1808,
Luna, daughter of Abel Fletcher, of this town.
He was selectman in 1830-32, and represented
the town in the Legislature in 1849-50. He
died February 27, 1856, aged seventy-one
years.

A third son of John Harris, Sr., was Norman
Harris. He was engaged a number of years in
mercantile business and in " packing " in Cali-
fornia. He died at Bellows Falls, Vt., July 22,
1875, aged seventy-one years.

Two other sons of John Harris, Sr., Ezekiel
and Erastus, were farmers in Chesterfield dur-
ing the greater part of their lives. Both died
in Brattleborough in 1859.

( 'apt. Ebexezer Harvey was of Northfield,
Mass., in 1758, having come to that town from
Sunderland. He appears to have removed from
Northfield to Winchester, and from that town
to Chesterfield. September 17, 1772, he pur-
chased of Elkanah Day, of this town, a part of
house-lots Nos. 5 and 5, in the tenth and
eleventh ranges. This land was near the com-
mon at the Centre village, which was mentioned
in the deed as having been conveyed to the
town. In June, 1777, he was sentenced by the
"court of inquiry " at Keene to be confined to
the limits of his farm and to pay a fine for al-
leged hostility to the American cause. He
appears also to have been a zealous partisan of
Vermont in the controversy about the "New
Hampshire Grants." He was selectman in
1783 and 1803 ; representative in 1785. He
was the first postmaster in Chesterfield com-
missioned by the United States, holding the
office from 1802 to 1810. He died in 1810.

One of his sons, Rufus Harvey, Sr., lived and

died in Chesterfield. For many years he (Rufus)
was a deputy sheriff for the county of Cheshire.

Dr. Solomon Harvey was in Dummerston,
Vt., in 1773, of which town he was clerk sev-
eral years. He appears to have settled in Ches-
terfield in 1775 or 1776, and to have taken an
active part in the affairs of the town during the
War of the Revolution. In 1788 he repre-
sented Chesterfield in the convention that
adopted the Federal Constitution. He was se-
lectman in 1789-92; town clerk, 1800-17.
He probably died in Chesterfield after 1820.

Benj. Haskell was in Chesterfield in 17 84.
He appears to have settled on lot No. 12 or 13,
in the thirteenth range. Justice of the peace;
selectman, 1784, 1787, 1788, 1798, 1799; rep-
resentative, 1789, 1799, 1800. Some of his de-
scendants now live at Ascott, Lower Canada ;
but whether he himself removed to that town
has not been ascertained. He removed from
Chesterfield, however, between 1815 and 1819.

Eleazkr Jackson, supposed to have been
a descendant of Edward Jackson, who came
from London, England, and settled in what is
now Newton, Mass, as early as 1643, was born
May 12, 1736 In 1767 he was in Walpole,
Mass., but afterwards removed to Wrentham,
and thence, in 1771, to Dudley. He was
originally a clothier by trade. October 6,
1778, he took a deed of eighty-two acres of
land in Chesterfield, upon which he settled.
This land is a part of the farm on which his
grandson, Jay Jackson, now resides, and has
always been, since 177-S, owned by members of
the Jackson family. He was selectman in
1782, '83, '87, '88, '93-'96 and 1800; repre-
sentative in '92, '93, '97. In 1791 he was the
delegate from Chesterfield to the convention for
revising the Constitution of the State. He died
November 11, 1814. His wife was Rachel
Pond, who died March 12, 1836, at the great
age of ninety-six years.

One of his sons, Enoch Jackson, married
Martha, daughter of Andrew Phillips, and
lived on the paternal farm till 1837, when he

170

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

removed to Wmhall, Vt., where he died at the
age of nearly eighty-four years. He was a
noted pedestrian and seldom made use of a
horse in performing long journeys. His son,
.lay Jackson, still resides on the ancestral farm,
as mentioned above, and is a well-known farmer.
Lev] Jackson, son of Eleazer Jackson, was
one of the most intellectual men that Chester-
Held has ever produced. Of him his nephew,
day Jackson, writes as follows:

'• In a history of the town of Chesterfield, justice to
the memory of Hon. Levi Jackson seems to require
something more than the bare mention of his name ;
for probably no one has done more for the honor of
the town, or to elevate the moral and intellectual
standard of the community in which he moved.

" The youthful years of Levi were principally spent
in company with his father and brothers in clearing
up and cultivating their new farm ; hut he manifested
a desire to obtain a better education than the common
schools of that day were calculated to impart, and told
his father that he thought he might afford to send one
of his numerous family of boys to college. Improving
his meagre common-school privileges, and dividing
the remainder of his time between his labors upon the
farm and his fireside studies, with the benefit of a few
months at the then infant institution of Chesterfield
Academy, he qualified himself for college, and entered
Dartmouth in 1797, two years in advance. Graduat-
ing in 17'.''.", his services were immediately secured by
the trustees of Chesterfield Academy as preceptor of
that institution, which position he held for six con-
secutive years. During this time the academy ac-
quired an enviable reputation asa literary institution.
Possessing a fine personal appearance, an unassumed
dignity and firmness, yet easy and pleasant in his
manners ami conversation, it was said of him that he
commanded both the love and the fear of his pupils

and the respect of all.

"( )n retiring from the precept orship of the acad-
emy, he engaged in trade at Chesterfield ('cut re, and
continued iii that business during the remainder of
his life. He was a member of the N.. H. House of
Representatives in 1808, '09, '10 and '11. and again in

'21 ; a member of the State Senate in L812, '13, '14, and

15, and of the Council in 1816 and '17. Modest and
unaspiring in his deportment (unlike many of our
modern politicians), the offices of honor and trust that
he lield were unbought and unsought by him, but be-
stowed upon him by an appreciative constituency in
consideration of his eminent qualifications for the same.

" A man of temperate habits and strong constitu-
tion, in the full strength and vigor of life and useful-
ness, and with a prospect before him amounting to
nearly a certainty that, if his life was spared, he
would soon be called to fill the highest office in the
gilt of the State, his unexpected death, which occurred
August 30, 1821, at the age of 49, was a. severe loss to
the town, the State and the community, and brought
deep mourning upon his family and friends ; but his
memory will be cherished while virtue, honesty and
intelligence are justly appreciated."

SAMUEL King, son of Dr. Samuel King-, ap-
pears to have settled in Chesterfield about L773.
lie probably came from Petersham, Mass. He
was «>ne of the most conspicuous characters in
the history of the town. In 1770 he refused
to sign the "Association Test/' and in dune,
1777, he was summoned before the "court of
inquiry," at Keene, " as being inimical to the
United States of America;" was tried and
sentenced to pay a tine and to he confined
to the limits of his farm. When the contro-
versy about the "Grants" was at its height,
he espoused the cause of Vermont, ami la-
bored strenuously to effect the union id' the
disaffected towns with that State, and at one
time held a commission as colonel in the
Vermont militia. According to the rec-
ords of the Superior Court of Cheshire County,
he was indicted at the same time with Samuel
Davis, for attempting to break up the Inferior
Court in September, 1 7S2 ; hut this indictment
was quashed. In 1781 he was chosen, to-
gether with Deacon Silas Thompson, to repre-
sent Chesterfield in the General Assembly of
Vermont, and was selectman the same and the
following year. In 1782, '83 and '84 he repre-
sented the town in the General Court of New-
Hampshire, lie died September 13, 1785, in
his thirtv-fourth year, and was buried in the
old town grave-yard at the Centre village. In
his will, which was made twelve days before
his death, he devised the use of his farm to his
father and mother, and made certain provisions
respecting his sisters and children. The ap-
praised value of his estate was t'2497 9a. b/.

CHESTERFIELD.

171

John Kneeland, son of Timothy Kneeland,
and brother of the celebrated Abner Knee-
land, was born in Gardner, Mass., in 17(36
or '67. He was a carpenter by trade, and
helped build, in 1790, the large square house,
near the West village, now owned and occupied
by Ira D. Farr. He lived a few years after his
marriage in Dammerston, Yt., but returned
to Chesterfield about 1797. He resided many
years on the farm now owned and occupied by
Charles C. P. Goodrich, Esq., and which has
long been known as the " 'Squire Kneeland
farm." He was a justice of the peace for many
years, and held the office of selectman longer
than it has ever been held by any other person
since the town was incorporated, viz.: 1806,
'08, '10, '12-16, '20-26, or sixteen years in
all. He was also representative 1818-20, '22
and '25. He died February 9, 1850.

Benjamin Lloyd Marsh, son of Captain
Reuben and Mary ( Wetherbee) Marsh, was born
in Chesterfield November 8, 1823. While a
young man he went to Boston, and became, in
1851, a member of the great dry-goods firm of
Jordan, Marsh & Co., the senior partner of
which is Eben D. Jordan. Mr. Marsh re-
tained his connection with this firm till his
death, which occurred June 13, 1865, "having
shared in all the struggles, vicissitudes and
triumphs of the house." His brother, Charles
Marsh, is still a member of the same firm.

Levi Mead, son of Matthew Mead, was
born in Lexington, Mass., October 14, 1759.
Soon after the War of the Revolution began he
enlisted in the American army, and served dur-
ing the whole war. In 1782 he married Betsey,
daughter of Joseph Converse, who settled in
Chesterfield about 1794.

In October, 1800, he purchased of Asa Brit-
ton, of this town, what is known as the " Mead
farm," having a frontage on the main street, at
the Centre village, extending from the old
" back road " (leading westward, and now dis-
used) to the "Dr. Tyler place." In the spring
of 1 S01 he came to Chesterfield with his fam-

ily, and occupied the next house south of the
Tyler place, which he kept as a tavern. In
1816 he built the present hotel at the Centre
village, long known as the " Mead tavern."
In 1802 he was appointed deputy sheriff for
Cheshire County, and held this office many
years. He died April 29, 1828.

Larkin G. Mead, born in Lexington, Mass.,
October 2, 1795, was the son of Levi Mead.
He was educated at the Chesterfield Academy
and at Dartmouth College, and then read law
with Hon. Phineas Handerson. For many
years he was a prominent member of theCheshire
bar. He was a man of culture, and possessed
rare business qualities. He was ever foremost in
promoting the cause of education, and took
great interest in the public schools. In 1839
he removed to Brattleborough, where he resided
the remainder of his life, and where he con-
tinued to practice his profession. He procured
the charter for the first savings-bank in Ver-
mont, now called the Vermont Savings-Bank
of Brattleborough, and was treasurer of the
institution about twenty-five years. In 1846
he was a member of the Vermont Senate. He
died July 6, 1 869.

His wife was Mary Jane, daughter of Hon.
John Xoyes, of Putney, Vt. One of his sons
is the well-known sculptor, Larkin G. Mead,
Jr., who was born in Chesterfield January 3,
1835, but removed to Brattleborough with his
parents in 1839. In 1862 he went to Florence,
Italy, where lie has since resided the greater
part of the time. Among the most important
of his works are the "Recording Angel," the
colossal statue "Vermont," "Ethan Allen,"
"The Returned Soldier," "Columbus' Last
Appeal to Isabella," " America," the bronze
statue of Abraham Lincoln, "Venice, the Bride
of the Sea," etc.

John PlERCE, came to Chesterfield from
Groton, Mass., between 1770 and 1776.

According to tradition, he served in the last
French and Indian War. On coming to Ches-
terfield, lie appears to have located at what is

172

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

now the Centre village, where he may have kept
a small store. At the same time he owned a
large quantity of land in the town, much of
which he is said to have sacrificed to the cause
of liberty during the War of the Revolution.
Together with others of this town, he also took
part in the battle of Bennington, probably as
an independent volunteer. April 19, 17S2, he
purchased of Samuel Davis Converse the
western half (the other half lying in Spafford's
Lake) of lot No. 12, in the tenth range, on
which he built a house. Here he passed the
remaining years of his life, erecting, after a
while, a larger and more commodious house
near the highway that formerly led from the
( entre village to Westmoreland. He died July
7, 181 2, aged sixty-nine years.

Ezekiel P. Pierce, son of John and Tabi-
tha (Porter) Pierce, was born April 20,1785,
and spent the most of his life in Ches-
terfield. About 1821 he opened a store at
the Centre village, where he also kept a tavern
for some time. He afterwards engaged in trade
for a while at Factory village, and in London-
derry, Vt. The first "patent accelerating
wheel-heads," for spinning wool, that were
made in ( 'hesterfield, were manufactured by
him at Factory village, probably about 1820.
He also engaged to some extent in the manu-
facture of bits and augers. In 1827 he repre-
sented the town in the General Court. lie died
May 2:], 1865.

Waimiam R. Platts, son of Captain Joseph
I'latts, of Rindge, born .Inly 18, 1 71)2, married
Sarah Harvey in 1821, and settled in Chester-
field. For about twenty-one years he was post-
master at the Centre village. He was also, for
many years, a deputy sheriff for Cheshire
County, and for a while sheriff of the comity.
He was always interested in the affairs of the
town and in national politics. In lNj.S and
1851 he held the other of selectman, and
was town clerk in L843— 44. He died February
21, 1872.

Johs Putnam, born in Winchester May 10,

1761, came to Chesterfield in his boyhood, and
lived in the family of Ebenezer Harvey, Sr. In
1 779 he enlisted in Colonel Hercules Mooney's
regiment, and served for a while. This regiment
was ordered to march to Rhode Island. In 1801
he married Mary, daughter of Joseph Con-
verse, and lived many years at the Centre vil-
lage, in the large house that once stood near the
south side of the common, and which was
burned about 1845. Though he commenced lite
in very humble circumstances, he succeeded,
by his sagacity and perseverance, in acquir-
ing a considerable fortune, owning much tim-
ber-land in the Winchester woods. For a
number of years he was one of the trustees of
the academy, and served the town in the ca-
pacity of selectman in the years L 808, '09/20,
'21, '20. He also represented the town in the
Legislature in 1816, '17, '18 and '26. lb' died
November 17, 1849, at the age of eighty-eight
years.

Eleazeb Randall, son of Eleazer and
Clarissa (Wheeler) Randall, was born in Ches-
terfield February 27, 1S20. Having learned
the carpenter's trade when a young man, he en-
gaged pretty extensively, from about 1850 till
1860, in the construction of railway and other
buildings in Vermont, Western Canada and
Michigan, being associated, most of the time,
with Marshall II. Farr and his own brothers, —
Shubel II. and George Randall. He married,
in 1846, Elvira Rumrill, of Hillsborough
Bridge. From 18(50 till the time of his death
he engaged in farming, in ( 'hesterfield, on the
farm that he had owned and managed since 1850,
and which is now owned by his sons, Oran E.
and Frederick b\ Randall. He died July 30,
L882.

Silas Richardson, a descendant of John
Richardson, who came to this country from
England, appears to have settled in this town
about 1776, having come from Mendon, Mass.

He was one of the original trustees of Ches-
terfield Academy, and was selectman in L788,
1793-96. He died in 1803. His wife was

CHESTERFIELD.

173

Silence Daniels, of Medway, Mass., and one of
his sons, Orlo Richardson, married Nancy Wild,
of this town, and settled here. In 1826-28, '34,
'35, he (Orlo) also held the office of selectman,
and represented the town in the Legislature in
1828-29. He died May 27, 1852. His son,
John Milton Richardson, born November 25,
1807, is a farmer and justice of the peace in
Chesterfield.

Archibald Robertson, born in Edinburgh,
Scotland, in 1708, emigrated to America in
1754, with his wife, Elizabeth (Watson), and
children, James, William, John (?) and Anna (?).
Archibald and his wife were dissenters from the
old-established Church of Scotland, and joined
with the " New Disciples." Their names ap-
pear among those of the subscribers for the
new book of " Confession of Faith," a copy of
which is now in possession of their great-grand-
son, Timothy N. Robertson. They came to
Chesterfield (having lived a few years near
Boston), after their son James had settled here,
but just how long after has not been ascertained.
December 14, 1775, Archibald was chosen to
represent Chesterfield and Hinsdale in the
" Provincial Congress " that was to assemble at
Exeter the 21st day of the same month, being
the first person ever chosen by the town for
such purpose. After living here a number of
years he removed to Brattleborough, or Ver-
non, Vt. He died in Brattleborough in 1803.

James R< >berts< >x, son of Archibald Robert-
son, born in Scotland March 8, 1741, came to
this country with his father in 1754. For a
few years after coming to this country he
worked in old Dunstable and vicinity, and,
probably, also took part in the last French and
Indian War. In the summer of 1762 he came
to Chesterfield, and began to prepare a home
for himself and future wife. The place where
he built his cabin is about thirty rods west of
the present residence of his grandson, T. X.
Robertson. When the war broke out between
the mother-country and the American colonies
he ardently espoused the cause of the latter,

though a Briton by birth. In September, 1776,
he enlisted in Captain Houghton's company of
Colonel Nahum Baldwin's regiment. In 1777
he was a lieutenant in Colonel Ashley's regi-
ment, but the date of his commission has not
been ascertained. He Was, also, at one time a
member of the town "Committee of Safety."
During the controversy about the New Hamp-
shire Grants he was firm in his opposition to
the Vermont party, by some of whom he ap-
pears to have been rather roughly treated.
He died March 19, 1830. His first wife was
Sarah Bancroft, of Dunstable (now Tyngsbor-
ough), Mass. She died June 28, 1798, in her
fifty -fifth year.

Elisha Rock wood, born in Groton, Mass.,
November 20, 1740, purchased in Chesterfield,
in 1769, the larger part of house-lots Nos. 7
and 8, in the tenth range. In his deed he was
styled "a clothier." He took a prominent part
in the affairs of the town during the War of
the Revolution, being one of the town Com-
mittee of Safety in 1777. He also was select-
man the same year and in 1780. He died Feb-
ruary 13, 1832.

The Sargent Family. — The founder of the
Sargent family in Chesterfield was Erastus Sar-
gent, a great-grandson of Digory Sargent, of
Massachusetts, who was killed by the Indians
about 1704, and whose wife and children were
captured and taken to Canada. Erastus mar-
ried Annas, daughter of Warren Snow, of
Chesterfield, and lived many years here, fin-
ally removing to Stukely, P. Q,., where he
died August 24, 1847, aged seventy-five years.
One of his sons, Edwin Sargent, married Sally,
daughter of David Stoddard, of this town, and
lived here the most of his life. He represented
the town in the General Court in 1842. One
of his sons, Charles R. Sargent, engaged to a
considerable extent, in his earlier years, in
school-teaching ; but at the time of his death,
which occurred in Hinsdale April 2, 1880, he
was one of the commissioners of Cheshire
( ountv, to which office he had been twice elected.

174

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Wm. Shurtleff came to Chesterfield from
Ellington, Conn., in 1787, and died here in
1801. His wife was Hannah Cady, and one
of his nine children was Roswell Shurtleff,
bora August 29, 177.*). At the age of about
nineteen years Roswell entered Chesterfield
Academy, where he studied Latin, going
through Ross's Grammar in just two weeks.
One of his mates at the academy was Levi
Jackson, who was afterwards his classmate and
room-mate at Dartmouth College. After a
while he took up the study of Greek, and went
through the "Westminster Creek Grammar"
in one week. In 17i>7 he and Jackson
entered Dartmouth two years in advance, and
graduated in 1799. From 1800 to 1804 he
was tutor in that college; from 1804 to 1S27,
professor of divinity; from 18*27 to 1838,
professor of moral philosophy and political
economy. For nearly twenty years he was
also college preacher, and pastor of the church
on Hanover Plain. He was a man of great
intellectual force, an excellent teacher and a
devoted friend to all young men who were
striving to obtain an education. He died at
Hanover February 4, 1861, in his eighty-
eighth year.

MOSES Smith, the first settler of Chesterfield,
was of Leicester, Mass.. in 17o<S, where he
owned land purchased of John Nobles, of
Norwich, Conn. In 17(il he was of Hins-
dale, as was stated in the deed of the land
which he purchased in Chesterfield that year.

His wife was Elizabeth , who died duly 20,

in her sixty-first year. He was selectman in 1777,
1771-72. The inscription on his gravestone is
as follow.-: " In memory of Ensign Moses
Smith, the first settler in Chesterfield, who de
parted this life Dec ye 30th, 1785, in y" 75th
year of Ids age." He was buried in the town
graveyard, situated near the " river road" and
a short distance south of the residence of
( lharles ( !. P. < roodrich, Esq.

Moses Smith, Jr., son of Moses Smith, the
first settler, married, in 17n\s, Phebe, daughter

of John Snow, of Chesterfield. He was one of
the first settlers in the eastern part of the town,
having purchased, December 25, 1 764, lot No.
12, in the sixth range. He was lieutenant in
1777, and justice of the peace for many years.
He was also one of the original trustees of the
academy. During the controversy about the
''New Hampshire Grants" he espoused the
cause of Vermont, and at one time the New
Hampshire government gave orders for his
arrest. He held the office of selectman in
1775, '76, 78, '81, '89-91, and was repre-
sentative in 1786-88, '!)(), '91. About 1824
he removed, with his son Moses, dr., to Pike,
Allegany County, N. Y., where he died about
1830, aged eighty-seven years.

John Snow appears to have settled in Ches-
terfield in 17t52, which year he and Moses
Smith built the first saw-mill erected in the
town. He probably lived on or near what
was afterwards the town poor-farm. He un-
doubtedly came from some town in Massa-
chusetts. He was selectman in 17<i7, and died
May 12, 1777, in his seventy-second year.
One of his sons, Zerubbabel Snow, married
Mary Trowbridge, of Worcester, Mass., and
settled in Chesterfield before 1770. He was
one of the selectmen in 1773-74, and died
April 12, 1795, in his fifty-fourth year.
Another son of John Snow, Warren Snow,
married Amy Harvey, and settled in this town
in 1769 or 1770, having come from Princeton,
Mass. In 1777 lie was a member of the " Com-
mittee of Inspection and Correspondence" of
Chesterfield, and selectman in 1779. lb' died
in 1S24.

Alpheus Snow, a grandson of Zerubbabel
Snow, was born in Chesterfield May 10, 17!H.
He married, in 1815, Salome, daughter of
Perley Harris, of this town. In his youth he
attended school only a few weeks; nevertheless,
by private study, he afterwards succeeded in
acquiring an ordinary education. He had a
special aptitude for arithmetic, and it is said
that even persons who ought to have been his

CHESTERFIELD.

175

superiors in this branch of mathematics some-
times sought his aid in the solution of difficult
problems. When a young man he learned the
blacksmith's trade, which he followed for many
years at the West village. He also engaged in
farming, living a long time on the farm now
owned and occupied by Horace D. Smith. He
was selectman in 18:37-39, '45, '49, '58, and
represented the town in the General Court in
1849. He died May 28, 1869.

Ebenezer Stearns, born in 1776, son of
Ebenezer Stearns, of Milford, Mass., appears to
have come to Chesterfield about 1797. About
1800 he opened the first store at Factory
village. In 1805 the Chesterfield Maim-
factoring Company was incorporated, of
which he was agent and treasurer most of the
time from 1809 to 1821. He was an active,
enterprising man, and did much to promote the
welfare and interests of the village in which he
lived. In 1823-24 he represented the town in
the Legislature. He died October 11, 1825.

David Stoddard may have come from Rut-
land, Mass. He appears to have settled in
Chesterfield about 1767, on the farm now
owned and occupied by Truman A. Stoddard.
Whether he was married more than once is not
known ; but the name of the wife who came

to Chesterfield with him was Joanna .

He was selectman in 1771 and 1772, and in
the spring of 1775 he enlisted in Captain
Hind's company of the Third New Hampshire
Regiment. According to tradition, he died
while in the army.

One of his sons, David Stoddard, Jr., mar-
ried Sarah French, and lived on the paternal
farm in this town.

Peter Stone, a descendant of Simon Stone,
who came to this country from England in
1635, was born in Groton, Mass., August 25,
1741. In 1773 he married Abigail Fassett, of
Westford, Mass. March 27, 1777, he pur-
chased, in Chesterfield, of Silas Thompson, the
farm on which the latter settled (consisting in
part, at least, of lot No 12, in the thirteenth

range). He appears to have come to this town
with his family in 1778 or 1779. He built, at
an early period, the house owned and occupied
by the late Charles N. Clark. In 1790 he
helped establish the academy. In his efforts
to aid others he became involved in debt, and
was obliged to mortgage his farm, which he
eventually lost. Though permitted to remain
in the house which he formerly owned (being
old and infirm), he chose not to do so, and
passed his last days in the school-house that
stood on the site of the present one in School-
District No. 10. He died about 1820 (as
nearly as can be ascertained), having survived
his wife a number of years.

Warren Stone, a grandson of Peter Stone,
was born at St. Albans, Vt., in 1808, but came,
at an early age, to Chesterfield, whence
his father and mother had removed but
a few years before. His early years were
spent in manual labor, and in obtaining such
education as the schools of the town afforded.
As he approached manhood, however, the
desire to pursue the study of medicine became
so strong that he resolved to quit the rural
scenes of his youth and devote his life to that
calling for which he had an especial fitness.
Accordingly, he went to Keene and studied a
while with the distinguished Dr. Twitchell,
afterwards attending the medical school in
Pittsfield, Mass., from which he graduated
with the degree of M.D. in 1831. The next
thing to be done was to find a suitable location
for practicing his profession. Endowed by
nature with a bold and enterprising spirit, he
at last decided to seek his fortune in the far-
distant regions of the South. He accordingly
went to Boston, where, October 10, 1832, he
took passage for New Orleans in the brig
"Amelia." The brig was wrecked on Folly
Island, near Charleston, S. C., but the
passengers were rescued, Dr. Stone especially
displaying on this occasion the firmness and
presence of mind for which he was noted.
( Jholera also broke out among the passengers

176

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

and crow, from which ho, too, suffered with
the rest. Ho finally arrived, however, in New
Orleans, late in November or early in Decem-
ber, in poor health and with insufficient
clothing. After a while he succeeded in
getting employment, in a subordinate capacity,
in Charity Hospital, of which he afterwards
became assistant surgeon. In January, 1 S : i 7 ,
he was appointed professor of anatomy in the
Medical Department of the University of
Louisiana, and soon afterwards professor of
surgery— a position that he held till he
resigned it. in the spring of 1872. In 1839 ho
established, in connection with Dv. William E.
Kennedy, a private hospital. In 1S41 he was
unfortunate enough to lose one of his eyes from
"a specific inflammation contracted from a
child." When the war broke out in 1861,
Dr. Stone was appointed, by the Confederate
authorities, surgeon-general of Louisiana, in
which capacity he rendered very efficient
service. After the occupation of New Orleans
by the Federal forces he was imprisoned for a
while by General Benjamin F. Butler.

As a surgeon, Dr. Stone possessed remarkable
skill, and successfully performed the most diffi-
cult operations, lie was, in fact, " the admit-
ted head of the profession in the Southwest."
He died in New Orleans December (5, 1872.

Stephen Streeter, Jr., son of Stephen
and Sarah (Chamberlain) Streeter, was horn
December 7. 17*2, about which time his father
and mother 'came from Oxford, Mass., to ( 'hes-
terfield. He was locally celebrated as a poet,
being noted also for his retentive memory.
Some of his songs, epigrams and longer poems
were very popular with his contemporaries, and
he well merited the appellation of the " Bard
of Streeter Hill." He died May 22, 1864,
having never married.

Si i. .\s Thompson, of Dunstable, Mass., pur-
chased in Chesterfield, March 12, I7t!i», lot
No. 12, in the thirteenth range, and probably
settled on the same soon after. Thisloi formed
part, at least, of the farm which he sold in

1777 to Peter Stone, Sr. After selling this
farm he lived on the one now owned by Henry
J. Dunham. He took a prominent part in the
affairs of the town and the church, being one
of the deacons of the latter. Together with
Colonel Samuel King, he represented the town,
after its union with Vermont, in the Assembly
of that State. In 1770 he was selectman, and
in 1776 coroner for Cheshire County. His wife
was Abigail Bancroft. He died April 25, 1; six;,
in his seventy-second year.

Ezra Titus, son of Joseph and Mary (Bige-
low) Titus, was born in Chesterfield January
1 5, 1 789.

Being of a studious turn of mind and fond
of mathematical studies, he is said to have ap-
plied himself so assiduously to these in his
early years as to have seriously overtasked his
brain — a circumstance which caused him to
change his course of life. He, nevertheless, fol-
lowed school-teaching to a considerable extent,
and acquired the reputation of being one of the
best teachers of his time. After his marriage
he also engaged in fanning in this town, and
for a while held a colonel's commission in the
New Hampshire militia. He also hold the
office of selectman in 1836 and '17. His wife
was Electa, daughter of John Knoeland, Esq.
He died March 25, 1869. One of his sons,
Herbert B.Titus, was an officer in the Federal
army during the Civil War.

Dr. JOSHUA Tyleb came from Brook-field,
Mass., and settled in Chesterfield, probably be-
tween 177H and '81. He located at the Centre
village, where he built the large house in which
his son, Rolston G. Tyler, lived many years,
and which is now occupied by Sowall F. Rugg.
He practiced his profession in this town many
years, and died June 1 1, 1807, aged forty-nine
years. His wife, Judith Ayres, died August
1 1, 1854, aged ninety-one years.

Nathaniel Walton, a son of Lawrence
Walton, one of the early settlers of Chester-
field, married Mary, daughter of Eli Pattridge,
of this town, and settled here. He was a black-

CHESTERFIELD.

177

smith by trade and noted for his extraordinary
physical strength. It is said of him that he
could pick up his anvil by the horn and carry it
some distance. He was also a celebrated wrest-
ler, and is said to have rarely found his match.
He died April 25, 1817, in his sixty-first year.
One of his sons, Nathaniel Walton, Jr., was a
farmer in Chesterfield, and served the town as
a selectman twelve years, viz.: 1822-25, 1827-
29, 1834, 1842-44, 1846. He was also a rep-
resentative in the General Court in 1844 and
'46. He died April 12, 1872. One of the
sons of Nathaniel, Jr., Milo Walton, became a
prominent citizen of Amity, Me., where he en-
gaged extensively in fruit-culture.

Peter Wheeler, born probably about 1733,
served seven years with Captain Patch, of Lit-
tleton, Mass., as an apprentice to the trade of
carpenter and joiner. He married Olive Davis,
and lived a while in Littleton. July 23, 1762,
he purchased in Chesterfield lot No. 9, in the
fifteenth range ; and January 22, 1766, house-
lots Nos. 1 and 2, in the twelfth range. He
settled where Russell H. Davis now lives, not
far from the brook that bears his name. It is
said that he helped build the " old meeting-
house," and that he took an active part in pro-
moting the welfare of the new town. He ap-
pears to have died about 1814.

His great-grandson, Hon. Hoyt H. Wheeler,
is judge of the United States District Court for
the district of Vermont. •

ASHBEL Wheeler, son of Benjamin and
Sarah (Harris) Wheeler, born in this town
November 26, 1785, married Diana, daughter
of Eleazer Randall (1st), and settled here.

For many years he was a well-known mer-
chant and distiller at the West village, being
also engaged, a part of the time, in farming.
Commencing business with little or no capital,
save his own native tact and shrewdness, he suc-
ceeded in acquiring a considerable fortune. He
was also a violin-player, and in his early and
middle manhood was extensively employed to
play at balls and " kitchen-dances." The store
12

which he established at the West village was
extensively patronized, and was long one of
the principal stores in the town. He died June
20, 1866.

Nathan Wild, son of Benjamin Wild, born
in Norton, Mass., June 14, 1787, came to Ches-
terfield with his father in 1801.

In his youth he had a fondness for mathe-
matical studies, which he pursued at home, with
the assistance of his brother David. Nathan
applied himself assiduously to the study of sur-
veying and astronomy, and soon became one of the
most skillful surveyors in the State, and an
astronomer of considerable proficiency. After his
marriage he settled on a farm situated near the
present stage-road leading from Factory vil-
lage to Keene, about one mile from the former
place.

This farm is at present owned by Rev.
T. I/. Fowler. He now engaged not only in
practical farming and surveying, but in the
publication of an almanac, known for a while
as " The Improved New England Almanack
and Ephemeris," and afterwards as " The Far-
mer's, Mechanic's and Gentleman's Almanack."
He appears to have begun the publication of
his almanacs about 1819, and they were gener-
ally, though not always, printed by John
Prentiss, at Keeue.

Not only was Mr. Wild a practical farmer,
surveyor, astronomer and almanac-maker, but
he also held several important civil offices. He
was selectman from 1820 to 1825, and repre-
sentative in the General Court in 1831 and
1832. In 1833 and 1834 he was a member of
the New Hampshire Senate.

His wife, whom he married in 1814, was
Rachel Newcombe. She died in Greene County,
Ind., in 1840. He died in Chesterfield March
5, 1838, and his body was interred in the vil-
lage cemetery at Factory village. His son,
Nathan R. Wild, was also a surveyor and civil
engineer. He married, in 1838, Maria E.
Wood, a granddaughter of Rev. Abraham
Wood, and removed to Greene County, Ind.,

178

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

in 1840, whore he died April 7, 1851, in his
thirty-sixth year.

Captain Simon Wtllard, probably from
Winchester, appears to have settled in Chester-
field about 1788. He married, about the same
time, Mollv King, the widow of Colonel Samuel
Kino-. He lived in this town till about 1813,
when he removed to Winchester, where he died
at a great age. He represented Chesterfield in
the General Court in 1794-96, 1801-7, or
ten years in all.

Rev. Ami: a ham \V< m >d, a descendant of \Yil-
liam Woofl, who came to this country from
England in 1638 was the first settled minister
of the Congregational Church in Chesterfield.
IIi< ancestor, William Wood, was the author of
a book entitled " New England's Prospects."
The following extracts are from a sketch of the
life of Rev. Abraham Wood, written by his
grandson, Professor Alphonso Wood, the bot-
anist.

" Rev. Abraham Wood was born in Sudbury, Mass.,
a.d. 1748 (Sept. 26); was educated in Harvard Uni-
versity and graduated with the class of 1767. June
4, 1771, he was married to Sarah Loring, of Hingham,
Mass., granddaughter of the Rev. Israel Loring, and
both were soon on their way, by a perilous journey,
into the then all-pervading wilderness of New Hamp-
shire. Here, in the township of Chesterfield, A.i>.
1772, he began a ministry which was to continue
without interruption unto the end of his days. His
annual salary was fixed at £80/ and assumed as a
town charge, and paid, like other municipal expenses,
from the public treasury. His parish was co-exten-
sive with the township, and throughout he was rev-
ereuced and beloved almost without exception. His
advice or approbation was sought in all public affairs,
alike in civil, military, educational and religious. He
not only ministered in the church, but solemnized
their marriages, baptized their children, buried their
dead, inspected their schools, addressed their martial
parades, and in their family gatherings was a welcome,
nay, an indispensable guest.

" His sermons were generally written out, and ever
true to the orthodoxy of the Pilgrim Fathers, not-
withstanding the tide of Arianism which began to

1 His salary was first fixed at £65, but was raised in
1792 to E80

sweep the churches of New England in the latter part
of his ministry.

"In speech he was animated and inspiring, with a
clear and ringing voice, and a style that appealed to
the reason and conscience, rather than to the imagi-
nation of his hearers.

" The last five years of his life were subject to much
infirmity, so that, at his own request, the Rev. John
Walker was called and installed by the church as
colleague pastor. To facilitate this measure, he gen-
erously declined his salary in favor of his colleague,
accepting for himself thereafter only the voluntary
offerings of bis people.

" During this period he continued to preach only
occasionally. On the great occasion of the fifty-first
anniversary of his ministry in Chesterfield he was
once more in his pulpit, and preached to a crowded
assembly, reviewing the events of his long and happy
connection with that people as their spiritual guide.
This was his last public effort.

"In person Mr. Wood was of medium height, with
a full habit, smooth face, florid complexion and an
attractive face, as shown in a life-size portrait painted
by Belknap."

He died October 18, 1823. His widow sur-
vived him twenty years, and died in Indiana at
the age of ninety-three years.

One of his sons, Abraham Wood, Jr., lived
many years in Chesterfield, on the paternal
farm, and was town clerk from 1818 to 1833.
In 1839 he removed to Greene County, Ind.,
where he died September 24, 1846. His wife
was Patty, daughter of Asa Dutton, of Dunl-
in erston, Vt.

Professoe Alphonso Wood, son of Abra-
ham Wood, Jr., was born September 17, 1810.
His first fifteen years were spent at home in
the old manse, dividing his time between rural
occupations and study in the village school and
the academy. After this his winters were
employed in teaching village schools in other
towns, — notably in Keene, Walpole, Clare-
mont, Fitzwilliam, Vernon, Newburyport, —
until the date of his graduation at Dartmouth
College, a.d. 1831. Immediately after this
event he was called to Kimball Union Acad-
emy, at Meriden, as teacher of natural science
and Latin, where, with an interruption of one

CHESTERFIELD.

179

year only, he remained during the next fifteen
years. This one year he spent at Andover,
Mass., in the study of theology, endeavoring
to fulfill the long-cherished purpose of his
parents. But his theological training was cut
short by a peremptory summons to return to
Meriden. Soon after this, Mr. Wood was
licensed, after examination, by the Sullivan
County Association as a preacher of the gospel,
but his ministry was confined to the army of
students that filled the academy (from two hun-
dred to three hundred) and occasional services
in the neighboring churches.

It was during his residence in Meriden that
he first conceived the purpose of preparing a
class-book of botany. The purpose arose very
naturally, — first, from his excessive fondness
for the science, and secondly, from his felt
necessities as a teacher of natural history.

Devoting his leisure hours and vacations
largely to botanical excursions and studies,
seven years passed, till 1845, when the "Class-
Book " was first issued. The work was not
stereotyped, being with the publishers a mere
experiment, and only fifteen hundred copies
were printed.

A demand unexpectedly great soon ex-
hausted this edition.

In preparing for a new issue, Mr. Wood
passed the spring and summer of 1846 in the
Western States, whither his parents had then
removed, botanizing in the prairies and barrens,
in order to extend the limits of his flora as far
west as the Mississippi River. He was ac-
companied by his wife, Lucy, and son, Frank
Alphonso, then two years old.

In the spring of 1849, on account of im-
paired health, he resigned his connection with
the Kimball Union Academy, and entered the
more active service of civil engineer in the
construction of a railway from Rutland, Vt.,
to Albany, N. Y.

From 1852 to 1858 he was engaged in
teaching in Cleveland, Ohio, and at College

Hill, near Cincinnati. In 1858 he established,
in connection with Mr. Covert, the Terre
Haute (Ind.) Female College; but in 1860
removed to Brooklyn, N. Y. The " Class
Book" was now an important interest. To
extend the area of its flora, Professor Wood
had made an exploration of the Southern
States, lasting six months of the year 1857.
In 1861 he opened the Brooklyn Female
Academy, but was again induced by love of his
favorite science to resume his investigations.
Accordingly, he embarked for California in
October, 1865.

In the Pacific States he sojourned one year
in constant travel, surveying the mountains,
the mines, the rocks, the peoples, and especially
the j)lants of that glorious land, from San
Diego to Puget's Sound, and returning, by the
way of the Isthmus, in November, 1866.

In the spring of 1867, having transferred
his interests in Brooklyn, he once more col-
lected his family into a new home in the
village of West Farms, a suburb of the city
of New York (and now annexed to it), on the
north. Here he suffered affliction in the death
of his wife, Lucy.

While he resided at West Farms, Professor
Wood was employed in revising and republish-
ing his botanical works, and in performing the
duties connected with the chair of botany in
the New York College of Pharmacy. He
sometimes also preached, as openings in the
churches occurred.

He was the author of the following works,
which are all published at present by A. S.
Barnes & Co.:

The "Class-Book of Botany," "Object-
Lessons in Botany," " The Botanist and Flor-
ist," "Monograph of the Liliacese of the
United States," "The Plant Record," "Flora
Atlantica," " How to Study Plants " (written
conjointly with Professor Steele).

Professor Wood died at his home at West
Farms, after a short illness, January 4, 1881.

HISTORY OF DUBLIN.

CHAPTER I.

Geographical — Original Grant — Names of Grantees — Divi-
sion of Grant — Provisions of Grant — The First Settlements
— Names of Pioneers — Incorporation of Town — First
Town-Meeting— Second Town-Meeting — Voters in 1770
— Tax-List of 1771 — Prices of Commodities in 1777.

The town of Dublin lies in the Eastern part
of the county, and is bounded as follows:

North, by Harrisville; East, by Hillsbor-
ough County ; South, by Jaflrey ; Vfvst, by
Marlborough.

This town, originally known as Monadnock,
No. 3, was granted November 3, 1749, by the
Masonian proprietors, to "Matthew Thornton,
Sampson Stoddard, William Spaulding, Joseph
French, Zachariah Stearnes, Peter Powers, Rob-
ert Fletcher, Junier, Eleazr Blanchard, Foster
Wentworth, Josiah Swan, Isaac Rindge, John
Rindge, Ezekiel Carpenter, Benjamn Bellows,
John Combs, Stephen Powers, Henry AVallis,
Samuel Kenny, EbenezerGillson, Jeremiah Nor-
cross, Isaiah Lewis, Ezra Carpenter, Enos Law-
rence, William ( 'ummings, Mark Hunkin, Joseph
Jackson, Thomas Wibird, Jeremiah Lawrence,
John Usher, Nathan1 Page David Page, Samuel
Farley, Daniel Emerson, Joseph Blanchard
Junr, Thomas Parker Junr, Anthony Wibird,
Francis Wbrster, Jonathan Cummings, David
Wilson and Clement March Esqr."

The deed of grant (says Mr. ( 'harles Mason,
in his address) was given by Colonel Joseph
Blanchard, of Dunstable, pursuant, as the reci-
tal states, to the power vested in him by the
proprietors, by a vote passed at a meeting held
180

at Portsmouth, in June preceding. This grant,
embracing a territory of thirty-five square miles,
— being seven miles in length and five in breadth,
— was made upon certain conditions, of which
the most important were that —

The whole tract of land was to be divided
into seventy-one equal shares, each share to con-
tain three lots, equitably coupled together, and
to be drawn for, at Dunstable, on or before the
1st day of July, 1750.

Three shares were to be appropriated, free of
all charge, "one for the first settled minister in
the town, one for the support of the ministry,
and one for the school there; forever;" and
one lot of each of these three shares was to be
first laid out near the middle of the town, in the
most convenient place, and lots coupled to them,
so as not to be drawn for.

The lots were to be laid out at the expense of
the grantees, and within four years from the
date of the grant forty of the shares, or rights,
as they were called, were to be entered upon,
and three acres of land, at the least, cleared, in-
closed and fitted up for mowing or tillage ; and,
within six months then next, there was to be,
on each of these forty settling shares, a house
built, the room sixteen feet square, at the least,
fitted and furnished for comfortable dwelling,
and some person resident in it, and to continue
inhabitancy there for three years, with the ad-
ditional improvement of two acres a year for
each settler.

A good, convenient meeting-house was to be
built, as near the centre of the town as might be

DUBLIN.

181

with convenience, within six years from the date
of the grant, and ten acres reserved there for
public use.

All white-pine trees, fit for masting His Maj-
esty's Royal navy, were granted to him and his
heirs and successors forever.

There was a proviso that, in case of any In-
dian war happening within auy of the terms
and limitations for doing the duty conditioned
in the grant, the same time should be allowed
for the respective matters after such impedi-
ment should be removed.

The township was accordingly divided into
lots, making ten ranges running through it from
east to west, with twenty-two lots in each range,
or two hundred and twenty lots in all. The
lots varied considerably, especially in length.
They were drawn for on the first Tuesday of
June, 1750. The seventy-one shares, of three
lots each, would, of course, leave seven lots un-
drawn. Some of these, though not all, were
upon the Monadnock.

The terms of settlement and the like, imposed
by the grant, cannot have been complied with,
to the extent specified, till certainly more than
ten years later than the times prescribed.
Whether the grantors dispensed with the condi-
tions as to time, on the score of Indian wars ap-
prehended, or for any other cause tacitly waived
those conditions, or whether they granted an ex-
tension of the times, does not appear.

Of the first settlement of the town -but little
is known with accuracy or certainty. The first
settler was William Thornton, probably in the
year 1852. His daughter, Molly Thornton, it
is said, was the first child born in the township.
He remained but a few years, — it is not known
how long, — when he abandoned his settlement,
it is supposed through fear of the Indians, and
never returned. He was a brother of Matthew
Thornton, who was the first named, as he was
by far the most distinguished, of the proprietors
of the township, and was much the largest land-
owner in it, having, at one time, it would ap-
pear, twenty-eight "shares, or eighty-four lots.

The settlers who next came into the township
were Scotch-Irish, as they were called, being
the descendants of Scotch people who had settled
in the north of Ireland, whence they came
to this country, and established themselves at
Londonderry and elsewhere, and, at a later
date, settled in Peterborough and numerous
other towns. As early as 1760, or thereabouts,
there were in the town, of this description of
persons, John Alexander, William McNee,
Alexander Scott, and William Scott, his son;
James Taggart, and his son, William Taggart ;
and perhaps others. They came mostly from
Peterborough. Henry Strongman came at a
later day. With the exception of him, none of
this class of settlers became permanent inhabit-
ants of the township. They left probably at
different times, but all prior to the year 1771,
as none of them are found upon the tax -list of
that year. Most or all of them returned to
Peterborough. This William Scott is the same
Captain William Scott, of Peterborough, who, in
his youth, served in the French War, and who
signalized himself by gallant achievements dur-
ing the War of the Revolution, and by no less
heroic deeds in scenes of danger afterwards.

As early as 1762 several of the settlers from
Sherborn, Mass., were in the township, and
worked upon the roads. Probably none of
them established themselves here that year.
During the next two years several became per-
manent inhabitants. Among the earliest settlers
were Thomas Morse, Levi Partridge, William
Greenwood, Samuel Twitchell, Joseph Twit-
chell, Jr., Ivory Perry, Benjamin Mason, Moses
Adams, Silas Stone and Eli Morse.

Of the first settlers, Captain Thomas Morse
appears to have been the leading man. He was
doubtless the oldest person in the settlement,
being sixty-three or sixty-four years of age
when he came to reside here. He was a man of
stability and force of character, and, it is said,
of remarkable shrewdness. Withal, he was
ardently attached to the cause of liberty. He
was the first captain of the earliest military

182

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

company in the town. His commission bore
date June 2, 1774.

From 1763 the population of the township
increased with considerable rapidity. New
settlers came in from various places, — Sherborm
Natick, Medfield, Holliston, Framing-ham,
Temple, Amherst and elsewhere. Of the ear-
lier settlers, by far the greater number came
from Sherborn. There is no means of ascer-
taining what was the population of the town at
any date prior to 1 775, when it was three hun-
dred and five. A census of New Hamp-
shire was taken in 1767 by the selectmen of
each town and place; but there is no return
from this township. There was probably no
formal organization existing at that time, and
consequently no officers to take the census.

A political organization of the inhabitants
was effected in 1768, as appears by a record
among the old papers of the town, which
recites that, "at a meeting of the inhabitants
of Monadnock, Xo. 3, by order of the General
Court," held November 16, 1768, John Goffe,
Esq., moderator, the following officers were
chosen : Moses Adams, Eli Morse, John Muz-
zey, assessors ; Joseph ( Jreenwood, clerk ; Henry
Strongman, collector; Moses Adams, commis-
sioner of assessment. Appended, of the same
date, is a certificate of the justice that the above
officers were legally chosen, according to an act
of the General Court, and were sworn to the
faithful discharge of their respective offices.
This John Goffe is presumed to have been
Colonel John Goffe, of Bedford. The organi-
zation thus established was preserved, and like
officers were chosen annually, in March, till the
town was incorporated.

The incorporation of the town took place in
March, 1771. The petition for the purpose, to
the Governor of the province, appears to have
been signed by Josiah Willard, Jr., as "the
agent for and in behalf of the inhabitants and
settlers." It sets forth, as the main ground of
the application, that Dublin is rated among the
towns and parishes in the province for the

province tax, and that the place " is not legally
qualified to raise and collect said taxes, whereby
they may be construed delinquents if the same
should be omitted." The petitioner also begs
leave to suggest to Plis Excellency "that the
said Dublin is presumed to be sufficiently in-
habited and convenient for incorporation/'
The petition was dated March 25th, and a char-
ter was forthwith granted, bearing date the 29th
of the same month.

For his services in this behalf Mr. Willard
received from the town thirty -two dollars, as
appears by his receipt, dated Keene, October
10, 1771. To meet this expenditure, the town,
at the second town-meeting, held May 29,
1771, made a specific appropriation, though it
seems they had not got their ideas up fully to
the exigency of the case, as the sum they appro-
priated was less by two dollars and a half than
the amount of the bill. Besides the money
paid him by the town, he received, as is shown
by his receipt, seven shillings and six-pence,
" in full satisfaction for services done the pro-
prietors of Dublin in obtaining a charter."

The charter thus granted was, doubtless, sub-
stantially the same as was usually granted to
towns in those times. It issues in the name of
" George the Third, by the grace of God, of
Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, De-
fender of the Faith, and so forth."- It contains
a reservation of all white-pine trees upon the
land "fit for the use of our Royal Navy."
This reservation of pine ship-timber was in
pursuance of acts of Parliament relating to the
preservation of His Majesty's woods in America.
We do not, however, learn that any requisition
for the article was ever made upon the town-
ship, either prior or subsequent to the act of
incorporation.

The town was incorporated by the name of
Dublin. In the petition for incorporation it is
described as a tract of land "commonly called
and known by the name of Dublin (or .Monad-
nock, Xo. 3)." When or how long it had been
commonly known by the name of Dublin does

DUBLIN.

183

uot appear. Up to that time the name does
not occur, so far as I have seen, in any of the
papers of the proprietors or of the township.
It is commonly understood that the town was
named from Dublin, Ireland. Why it should
have been is not obvious, as it is pretty mani-
fest that, before the incorporation of the town,
all the Scotch-Irish who had ever been resident
in it had removed, with the exception of one, —
Henry Strongman. But he, it is said, was born
in Dublin, and that circumstance may have set-
tled the point. At all events, it is just as hard
to tell why it should not have been so named,
since it must necessarily have some name, and
it might as well be called Dublin as anything
else.

In the deed of grant from the proprietors
the township was described as "North Monad-
nock, or Number Three," the names being in
the alternative. In the papers of the original
proprietor's clerk, Joseph Blanchard, Jr., and
others emanating from non-residents, it is styled,
pretty uniformly, " The North Monadnock
Township." By the residents it appears to
have been called, commonly, " Monadnock, No.
3." Sometimes the two designations were run
together, making it " North Monadnock, No. 3."

To understand why either the " North " or
the " Number " should have been applied, it is
to be borne in mind that " Monadnock " was a
name of pretty extensive use in these regions.
Thus, Rindge, otherwise called Rowley Canada,
was Monadnock, No. 1 ; Jaffrcy, called Middle
Monadnock, or sometimes Middletown, was
Monadnock, No. 2 ; Dublin, or North Monad-
nock, was Monadnock, No. 3 ; Fitzwilliam,
Monadnock, No. 4 ; Marlborough, called orig-
inally New Marlborough, was Monadnock, No.
5 ; Nelson, formerly Packersfield, was Monad-
nock, No. 6 ; Stoddard, which was Limerick,
was, it is presumed, Monadnock, No. 7 ; and
Washington, formerly Camden, was Monad-
nock, No. 8.

The meeting for the organization of the
town, under the charter, was called, as provided

in the instrument, by Thomas Morse, and was
held May 6, 1771. Mr. Morse was moderator.
The first Board of Selectmen, then chosen, were
Thomas Morse, Henry Strongman and Benja-
min Mason. Joseph Greenwood was chosen
town clerk.

Mr. Greenwood, for twenty years or more
next after this time, was by far the most prom-
inent business man in the town. He was town
clerk in 1771, and from 177G for seventeen
years successively, during which time he was
also selectman ten years and town treasurer some
part of the time. He represented Dublin in
the convention of delegates which met at Ex-
eter, May 17, 1775. He was likewise a noted
schoolmaster. Furthermore, he was the first
justice of the peace in the town. For some
years they had been obliged to send for a jus-
tice of the peace from a distance when one was
required. In the treasurer's account, settled in
1776, is found an item : " Paid Esq. Hale, for
swearing town officers, two years, twelve shil-
lings." Precisely when Mr. Greenwood was
appointed does not appear ; but it was before
May, 1777.

At the second town-meeting, held May 29,
1771, the town granted fifteen pounds for
preaching. The money appears to have been ex-
pended in the course of the summer, as, in Sep-
tember of the same year, they voted to have a
month's preaching that fall and granted nine
pounds for the purpose.

The whole number of voters in Dublin in
1770 was only twenty-three. A list of these
voters, certified by Joseph Twitchell and John
Muzzey, two of the assessors of that year, con-
tains the following names : Levi Partridge,
Thomas Morse, Eli Morse, William Green-
wood, Joseph Greenwood, Joseph Adams, Asa
Norcross, Henry Strongman, Silas Stone, Ivory
Perry, Samuel Twitchell, Moses Mason, Joel
Wight, Joseph Twitchell, Ebenezer Twitchell,
Reuben Morse, Daniel Morse, Benjamin Mason,
Moses Adams, John Muzzey, Eleazer Twitch-
ell, Joshua Lealand, Edward West Perry.

184

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

The qualification for a voter at that period

was " twenty pounds estate to one single rate,

beside the poll." Following is tax-list for 1771 :

£ s. d.

"Levi Partridge 2 0 6

Thomas Morse 3 10 6

Eli Morse 3 1 6

Joshua Lealand 12 6

William Greenwood 3 7 0

Joseph Adams 2 6 6

Asa Norcross 1 15 0

Joseph Greenwood 2 2 0

Josiah Greenwood 14 6

Caleb Hill. 0 11 6

Henry Strongman 2 6 0

Silas Stone.... 1 14 0

Ivory Perry L 18 0

Isaac Bond 0 3 0

Samuel Twitchell 2 0 6

Moses Mason 19 0

Simeon Bui lard 15 0

Joseph Twitchell 1 12 6

Benjamin Learned 110

Simeon Johnson 16 0

Moses Johnson 13 6

Ebenezer Twitchell 1 15 0

Joseph Morse 0 14 0

Eleazer Twitchell 0 13 0

Reuben Morse 1 18 6

Thaddeus Mason 1 14 0

John Ranstead 0 18 0

Daniel Morse 1 16 0

Benjamin Mason 2 11 6

Daniel Morse 1 10 6

Moses Adams 4 8 0

William Beal 110

John Wight 19 6

John Muzzey 1 17 0

Elias Knowlton 1 0 6

John Knowlton 12 6

Robert Muzzey 18 0

Ezra Twitchell 1 15 6

Joseph Mason 10 0

David Johnson 0 18 0

Daniel Greenwood 0 18 0

Jonathan Knowlton 0 18 0

Samuel Ames, jun 0 4 0

Daniel Wood 0 18 3

Rufus Huntley 0 18 0

Nathaniel Bates 0 18 0

Gershom Twitchell 0 18 0

Joseph Turner , 0 3 0

Joseph Drury 0 4 0

Benoni Death 0 16

John Swan 0 4 0

Caleb Greenwood 0 2 0

Thomas Muzzey 0 18 0

John Morrison 0 16

"Sum total £72 18 6

" Or 8246.42."

The following is a list of prices in 1771 :

" Dublin, July 10, 1777.— We, the subscribers, being
appointed by the town of Dublin to state the prices
of sundry commodities, transferrable from one person

to another, having met and considered the matter,
have resolved that the prices hereafter annexed shall
be the prices for all such articles within our town,
viz : —

£ s. d.

" Wheat, per bushel 0 6 0

Rye and malt, per bushel 0 4 0

Indian corn, per bushel 0 3 0

Oats, per bushel 0 1 8

Peas, per bushel 0 6 0

Beans, per bushel 0 6 0

Cheese, per pound 0 0 6

Butter, per pound 0 0 9

Carriage of salt, for every ten miles land

carriage, per bushel 0 10

Flax, per pound 0 0 10

Sheep's wool, per pound 0 2 2

Yarn stockings, per pair 0 6 0

Men's all-wool cloth, well-dressed, per

yard 0 8 0

Men's farming labor, July and August, per

month 3 0 0

And by the day 0 3 0

May, June and September, per month... 2 10 0

And by the day 0 2 6

April and October, per

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